My assessment of the minister's arguments in using nicotine pouches and flavoured vaping products as a rationale for this power grab, both in Bill C-47 and in Bill C-69, is that they're a bit of a red herring.
Under the Food and Drugs Act as it existed even before Bill C-47, Health Canada has the ability to stop the sale of any product it deems unsafe. It has the ability to seize any product. It has the ability to stop any personal use imports across the border if it wants to. It could mandate a label change, adding any warnings that it wants to, and it can withdraw any natural product number. It actually approves a natural product number in the first place, and it has the power therein to withdraw a natural product number.
Is the issue actually the regulated use and sale of these nicotine pouches or is it actually the contraband sale of these nicotine pouches?