Edibles

Edibles

As the Canadian cannabis market continues to move forward, Health Canada plans to expand its current regulations to include a wider range of products. These new regulations are expected to come into force in the fall of 2019 and will allow for the creation new products within the legal Canadian regulations. One of the most exciting opportunities this will allow is the creation of edible cannabis products. Health Canada defines edible cannabis products or “edibles” as “products containing cannabis that are intended to be consumed in the same manner as food”, which will include both solid cannabis infused food products (such as baked goods, gummies, chocolates, etc.) and cannabis infused beverages.

In order to create these new products, an amendment to Schedule 4 of the Cannabis Act will add three new classes of cannabis products that can be sold: cannabis extracts, cannabis topicals, and edible cannabis. It is interesting to note that it is proposed that “cannabis oil” be removed from Schedule 4 and subsequently be included in the new product classes.

All three new classes of cannabis product will be produced under a Processing Licence (both standard and micro). However, there will be several amendments to the Processing Licence class requirements in order to ensure the safe production of cannabis edibles. These updates include implementing a Preventative Control Plan (PCP), enacting simulation product recalls every 12 months to test the effectiveness of the system, and additional Good Production Practices (GPP) requirements. Many of these amendments are based on standard practices in the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). There are also proposed updates to the rules governing production of cannabis products, for example, including a limit for THC per serving and/or per package as well as to packaging and labelling requirements.

PipeDreemz. Inc is well versed in the SFCR documentation and is ready to help with any questions or concerns a licenced processor might have when preparing their facility to create cannabis edibles.

Prior to its official enactment, companies can get a head start on the edible production process by generating their own recipes and food products. This can be achieved through the use of a Licence for Research, allowing one to use cannabis for research and development purposes, as long as the product is appropriately disposed of. Being able to fine tune recipes on a small research scale while ensuring the product is safe for consumption will add a huge advantage to companies looking to purchase or produce edible cannabis products on a large scale once the law comes into effect.

Click the image below to download the chart from Health Canada outlining the FINAL regulations for additional cannabis products (edibles and topicals) as of June 14, 2019.

 

 

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