QUESTION PERIOD — Health
Cannabis Regulations
April 16, 2024
Honourable colleagues, my question is for the Government Representative.
Canada made history in 2018 by becoming the first major developed country to legalize and regulate cannabis through the Cannabis Act, aimed at safeguarding Canadians’ health and safety while thwarting organized crime’s involvement.
Recently, the legislative review of the Cannabis Act was reported. It outlined many recommendations and observations to fortify this legislation. However, there have been some disturbing trends, especially related to children and youth.
Senator Gold, how does the Government of Canada plan to allocate sufficient funding and resources to ensure the effective implementation of the cannabis framework including addressing emerging public health and public safety concerns, especially related to children and youth?
Thank you for your question, senator. It is my understanding that Health Canada is currently reviewing the findings and recommendations of the expert panel, and they will be providing to the minister recommendations on the next steps.
Thank you for that response, Senator Gold.
As we’ve seen with smoking, perceived harm influences substance use. Senator Gold, are there plans to enhance packaging to better communicate risks and to increase funding for targeted educational programs for parents and youth?
Thank you for your question. As the expert report points out, significant progress has already been made on some key objectives of the legislation, which include adherence to rules on promotion, packaging and labelling, including prohibitions against making claims about health or lifestyle benefits. Indeed, the government has also launched several public health campaigns focused on education and will continue to build on this important work.
