Cannabis Council of Canada concerned about black market vaping illnesses

OTTAWA, September 25th, 2019 – The health and safety of Canadians is the number one priority of all licensed cannabis producers. The Cannabis Council of Canada (C3) strongly advocates for all cannabis products, including vaporizing pens and their contents, to be produced and sold in a regulated and responsible environment.

C3 has been monitoring the recent public health reports detailing harms associated with the use of vaporizing devices in the United States, and some potential incidents in Canada.

Vaporizing or “vaping” is an increasingly popular way to consume cannabis products and provides an alternative to smoking for adult-use or medical consumers. Vaporizing devices can use dried cannabis flower or concentrates, such as oil.

Vaping devices for consuming cannabis oil in the recreational market are currently not legal for sale in Canada and are not subject to product regulatory standards. Purchasing these products in Canada may pose a risk to consumers and should be avoided until such time as these products are legalized for sale, and only from licenced producers operating in a regulated retail environment.

“At the present time, Canadians do not have access to legal, regulated vaping devices for cannabis oil in the recreational market. We urge Canadian cannabis consumers to avoid consuming any cannabis or cannabis products they may have purchased from the illicit market as these will not have been produced in a regulated, Health Canada approved environment,” said Cannabis Council of Canada’s Board Chair Megan McCrae.

The health risks associated with purchasing and using cannabis products from illicit sources cannot be understated. C3 strongly supports the regulation of licensed cannabis producers to help ensure the public health and safety of Canadian consumers and that cannabis products are purchased through legitimate, regulated retail outlets.

C3 encourages governments to continue educating Canadians about the differences between illicit and regulated cannabis products to help ensure consumers can make informed decisions. As well, C3 is committed to working with federal and provincial governments to improve cannabis literacy for Canadian consumers.

C3 submitted a response to Quebec’s draft “Regulation under the Cannabis Regulation Act” published in the Gazette Officielle du Quebec, July 24, 2019, Vol. 151, No. 30 (online at: https://cannabis-council.ca/advocacy) which provides more information on this topic.

C3 will continue to monitor the situation regarding these illnesses and inform Canadian cannabis consumers accordingly.

About the Cannabis Council of Canada

The Cannabis Council of Canada is the national organization of Canada’s licensed producers of Cannabis under Health Canada’s federal Cannabis Act. The Council’s mission is to act as the national voice for our members in their promotion of industry standards; support the development, growth and integrity of the regulated cannabis industry; and serve as an important resource on issues related to the safe and responsible use of cannabis for medical and non-medical purposes. Members of Cannabis Canada share a philosophy of both patient-centric care and improved public health, and are committed to product safety and quality, secure and reliable access and the promotion of the safe and healthful use of cannabis.

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For more information:

hello@cannabis-council.ca | www.cannabis-council.ca

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