Cannabis Edibles, Extracts, & Topicals

By: Ivy Tang, Product Safety Specialist, email

The Second Wave of Cannabis Legalization: Edibles, Extracts, and Topicals

The Cannabis Regulations, found in the Cannabis Act (Bill C-45), came into force last October to establish rules regarding the production, distribution, importation, and exportation of cannabis. The regulations also covered the five classes of cannabis (dried, fresh, oil, plant, and plant seed) and their packaging and labeling requirements. Now, as the second wave of legalization for cannabis edibles approaches exactly one year later, a new set of regulations must be put in place.  Please see the Proposed Regulations Document from Health Canada for additional clarity.

Three new classes of cannabis have been proposed (amendment to Schedule 4 of the Act):

1. Edible cannabis
2. Cannabis extracts
3. Cannabis topicals

The regulations for these new classes are intended to address issues including public health, foodborne illnesses, appeal to youth, THC limits, packaging and labeling, GPPs, and consumer safety risks. A summary of the new edible (additional cannabis products) regulations can be found here. As they are integrated into the existing cannabis regulations, the goal is twofold:

• To remain consistent with other regulatory frameworks for Food, Vaping Products, and Cosmetics, and
• To enable the displacement of the illegal cannabis industry.

Other proposed amendments include, but are not limited to:

• Storage and quality control (Part 5) such as air filtration requirements
• Prescription drugs (Part 8, 9) such as the removal of Drug Establishment Licenses
• Product sampling and testing for TCH content (Part 5)
• Variability limits of THC/CBD in a product
• Licensing (Part 2)
• Record-keeping requirements (Part 11)
• Food grade packaging and labeling to include small container exemptions, expanded panels, and cannabis-specific Nutrition Facts Tables
• Prohibition of certain flavors, claims (e.g. ‘low fat’) and substances (meat, poultry, vitamins) and limits on caffeine and ethyl alcohol

For manufacturers, proposed rules for THC limits include:

• Edibles: limit of 10mg of THC per discrete unit and per package
• Extracts: 10mg of THC per discrete unit used, with a limit of 1000mg of THC in a single package
• Topicals: maximum of 1000mg of THC per package

Contact Dell Tech today for more information on cannabis consulting, regulatory issues, and quality assurance compliance.

You can read the Regulations Amending the Cannabis Regulations (New Classes) here.

Contact:
Dell Tech Laboratories
Ivy Tang, B.Sc.
Product Safety Specialist
itang@delltech.com
519-858-5021 ext 2043

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