Question Period Notes
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Parliament established a deadline of October 17, 2019 for the new classes of cannabis products to be added to Schedule 4 of the Cannabis Act, thereby permitting their legal sale. Amendments to the Cannabis Regulations came into force on the same day (October 17, 2019).
The amended regulations set out the rules governing the legal production and sale of edible cannabis, cannabis extracts, and cannabis topicals. These new cannabis products will not be available for purchase by adult consumers before mid-December 2019 at the earliest.
The amended regulations seek to reduce the public health and public safety risks associated with the new cannabis products, such as appeal to youth, overconsumption, and accidental consumption.
The expert Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation recommended permitting legal access to regulated, quality controlled products, as a way to protect Canadian consumers from the inherent risks and harms of illegal products, which are not subject to oversight or controls.
• Why has the Government introduced new cannabis products given their risks such as accidental consumption and overconsumption?
• How is the Government addressing the appeal of these new cannabis products to youth?
• How will the Government reduce public health and public safety risks of the new cannabis products?
Cultivating, processing and selling cannabis requires a licence under the Cannabis Act.
Regulations that set out strict rules controlling cultivation, processing and other activities with cannabis were updated on October 17, 2019 to include new controls governing edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals.
• Why does it take so long to get a cannabis licence?
• How are you keeping organized crime out of the legal market?
• Why are there so few small cannabis producers?
The Government is committed to ensuring that individuals who require cannabis for medical purposes have reasonable access to legal and quality-controlled products. The Cannabis Act preserves and builds on the medical access program.
• How will the Government ensure that patients continue to have access to cannabis?
• How is the Government addressing abuses of the medical access system, while ensuring that patients continue to have reasonable access to cannabis?
On October 17, 2018, the Cannabis Act came into force, setting out strict rules controlling cultivation, processing and other activities with cannabis.
Health Canada has a comprehensive process in place to work with the affected parties in the event of a cannabis product recall.
• In light of recent product recalls, what has Health Canada/the Minister done to ensure appropriate measures have been taken to protect the health and safety of Canadians? How has the contaminated product made its way onto shelves and into consumers’ hands?
Hong Kong has a significant population of dual-national Canadian citizens, estimated at 300,000. The current civil unrest has raised questions about the Government of Canada’s readiness to respond should Canadian- residents in Hong Kong need to leave quickly. Questions have also been raised about whether Canada should be looking to resettle refugees, or persons in a refugee-like situation, out of Hong Kong.