The Cannabis Council of Canada Expresses Disappointment by the Recommendations Put Forward in the Cannabis Act Review

Toronto, Ontario – March 22, 2024 – The Cannabis Council of Canada (“C3”) expresses its disappointment with the recommendations tabled in the Cannabis Act Review.

Yesterday, the Minister of Health released the long-awaited Legislative Review of the Cannabis Act (“the Report”), reflecting the assessment of the framework and the advice and recommendations of the Health Canada appointed Expert Panel.
C3 firmly believes that to achieve the stated objectives of the Cannabis Act, a healthy and sustainable industry is required. Unfortunately, the recommendations found within the Report were not robust enough to support the objectives of the Act, designed to protect the health and safety of Canadians, keep cannabis away from children, and profits out of the hands of criminals.

The panel ignored its mandate to address the economic sustainability of the industry. The expectation of C3 members was that there would be more specific recommendations tabled to guide the government toward immediate action. Furthermore, the Report failed to break new ground on a number of important topics that are crucial for our industry’s survival, yet re-hashed recommendations that had already been tabled and ignored.

“Legalization is a success, except for those who have built the industry and those who sustain it. Federal governments, provincial governments and distributors have put themselves first, ahead of consumers, and have earned billions in tax dollars on the backs of licensed producers and retailers, who are struggling to make ends meet,” said Rick Savone, Chair of C3.

“Over the last six years, we’ve seen our industry do its part, focusing on consumer safety, high quality production and product innovation. Consumers and patients have been responsible and open-minded about these world-first changes. But, unless Finance Canada seriously reconsiders its tax approach in the upcoming Budget, and Health Canada decides to bring meaningful change to its regulations, the model will continue to produce job losses, disinvestment, bankruptcies, and increased criminality.” he concluded.

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