Canada Reveals Plans for Legalized Weed Packaging

Not to be outdone by Ontario Cannabis Stores’ underwhelming logo, Health Canada has revealed what packaging for legal weed will likely look like and it’s just as dull.

In a report released Monday, the government outlined the strict regulations for how it wants weed to be packaged and sold for the masses. The proposed regulations stipulate that cannabis be sold in white packaging, with a bright red stop-sign graphic featuring a cannabis leaf symbol and “THC,” along with a bright yellow health warning. In a nutshell, packaged weed here has a very good chance of looking like trail mix that may contain bleach.

According to the report each package should say, “KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN” but the warnings don’t end there. Here are some examples of the alleged health risks Health Canada wants to slap on legal weed.

WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. More than 4,000 Canadians were injured and 75 died from driving after using cannabis (in 2012).

WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to 1 in 2 people who use cannabis daily will become addicted.

WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.

In a media briefing Monday, Eric Costen, Director General of the federal government’s Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Secretariat, said the warnings are based on “an exhaustive review of all the available scientific research on cannabis.”

Images and graphics other than the brand logo will be banned and everything right down to font size will be regulated, making the regulations even stricter than those in place for tobacco and alcohol. The packages will need to be opaque and child-resistant.

The cannabis packaging will also need to contain a host of information including potency, weight, packaging date, and number of units or doses.

The Cannabis Act has been approved by the House of Commons and is currently under Senate review, which means you should be able to buy recreational weed legally by sometime late summer.

Currently medical cannabis producers are not subject to many packaging/labelling restrictions. They will have six months to adopt the new marketing recommendations once they are passed into law.

Who’s excited for legalization, baby!

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