OTTAWA — The federal government says the Canadian public broadly supports the tight regulations it has so far proposed for marijuana packaging, which will include a bright red stop sign containing a pot leaf and the letters THC.
Health Canada is unveiling the results of a 60-day consultation around its proposed regulations, in which it emphasizes a focus on reducing the appeal of marijuana to youth and preventing accidental consumption.
Logos would have to be a single colour, with no metallic or fluorescent finishes, and packages would have to be opaque and child-resistant, with a bright yellow health warning similar to those used on tobacco products.
Cannabis legislation is currently before Parliament and none of the regulations are final until approved by legislators.
The consultation received more than 3,200 online submissions and 450 written responses, as well as input from health and law enforcement experts, governments, patient advocates and industry representatives.
Health Canada is also proposing two new categories of small-scale producers — micro-cultivators and micro-processors — that would apply lower-level security requirements for businesses that grow or process smaller amounts of product.