MONTREAL -- Edibles, drinks and extracts are officially legal in Quebec as of Monday, but anyone looking to buy them will have to wait until at least Jan. 1.
Regulations governing these next-generation cannabis products came into effect on Oct. 17 – one year after Canada legalized recreational weed. However, companies must provide Health Canada with a mandatory 60-day notice prior to selling these products.
According to the Société Québécois du Cannabis (SQDC) the decision to wait until the new year was made because the official legislation in the province was only published in the Official Gazette on Nov. 20.
“We want to give the industry some time to adapt itself to the regulation in effect, but it is possible that we won’t have any products to sell if the industry hasn’t had enough time to adapt,” said SQDC spokesperson Fabrice Giguère.
“Like we said on many occasions, this new wave of legalization is not a race.”
Companies across Canada have already begun unveiling details of their products, including spring water and mints that contain CBD and/or THC, two active ingredients in cannabis.
The products will be subjected to strict regulations, including a limit on the level of active ingredients and packaging. They cannot contain nicotine, caffeine or alcohol and companies will not be able to call the beverages beer or wine.
The goods must also not have a shape, flavour or scent that could be reasonably considered appealing to children. They must be wrapped in plain, child-proof packaging.
Giguère tells CTV News that if suppliers are able to gather enough product to start selling on Jan. 1, it will probably be a “limited product offering that will increase progressively over time throughout winter and spring.”
Quebec also upped the legal age of cannabis consumption to 21. This law will also come into effect on Jan. 1.
-- with files from The Canadian Press.
