Since the announcement of the Cannabis Act review, people are speaking out about what they hope to see from reviewers.
The review was initially planned to begin in 2021 and look at the public health implications of the legalization of cannabis in Canada.
The CBC reported that the government delayed the start of the review to expand the scope. “The review mandate has been expanded to include an examination of the social and environmental effects of the Cannabis Act, the impact of legalization and regulation of medical cannabis and the impact on racialized communities and women.”
Read more here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/public-health-cannabis-mandated-eview-1.6591442
An article in The Globe & Mail stated that “For George Smitherman, the chief executive officer of the Cannabis Council of Canada, the national industry association, the announcement comes at a critical time. Companies continue to face pressure from the illicit market, as well as excise taxes, provincial distributor markups and regulatory fees.”
Read more here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-health-canada-cannabis-act-review/
The Toronto Star notes that the pot sector wants packaging changes and financial relief from the review. “The industry is frustrated the review’s launch arrived a year later than mandated but is still hoping it can result in enough tweaked restrictions to make cannabis distribution easier, draw in new customers and prevent more staffing and facility cuts.”
Read more here: https://www.thestar.com/news/cannabis/2022/09/22/pot-sector-wants-packaging-changes-financial-relief-from-cannabis-act-review.html
The review is expected to be completed in 18 months, and government officials say that it will consider health issues as well as financial, tax, regulatory and criminal-justice matters.