Health Committee on Sept. 15th, 2017

[Jacqueline Bogden]

As I said in the answer to a question from another member, public education is a very important part of the government's strategy. Taking a public health approach to cannabis or tobacco is about maximizing public education and minimizing the risks of use. In answer to a question from one of the other honourable members, I talked about the work we have under way. We are talking to young Canadians about cannabis to make sure that they're thinking about the health risks. That's part of the work we're doing now. In the weeks and months ahead, if this bill is passed by Parliament, we will perhaps be working in concert with other partners to get additional information out.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Whether the bill passes or not, given the prevalence of the use of marijuana in youth, I'd say that in getting those public messages out, the more you do and the sooner you do it, the better.

Moving to another topic, I understand from the BC Compassion Club Society, in their recommendation number five, that licensed manufacturers are not yet permitted to produce edibles. Is that right?

[Hilary Black]

This is where there is some confusion. Licensed producers are able to distribute cannabis oil that is not for inhalation, but that is used for consumption. You can take the oil directly—

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

You can buy the oil.

[Hilary Black]

—on a spoon or syringe, or you can take it home and produce baked goods out of it.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

However, in terms of some of the other things we've heard from other jurisdictions, like Colorado, where there's quite a robust market....

[Hilary Black]

No. When we're talking about edible products, other than infused oils, they are not currently allowed from the licensed producers.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

There has been a very prevalent concern raised by witnesses that edibles should be part of Bill C-45 and for some very good public health reasons. The first is that otherwise people are primarily going to be smoking and inhaling and second is that the black market, or the other market, has competing goods in this area.

What we heard on Monday was that it was too soon. The experience in Colorado was that launching edibles would take some time and there are complex regulations, so it wasn't included. However, it's been three years now and I'm sure that the medical marijuana users have been advocating for manufactured edibles for sometime now, for three or four years.

It leads me to wonder what's happened. Why hasn't Health Canada addressed this? Is it you just don't think it's an important component of the market? Why haven't you addressed it for the medical marijuana group? Then you would have had the regulations and things ready for recreational.

[Jacqueline Bogden]

I guess what I would offer is that enabling the production of cannabis oil.... When the licensed industry first began, it was only for dried cannabis and enabling licensed producers to begin producing cannabis oil is a relatively recent addition to the system, which is in part in response to a Federal Court decision. It was the summer of 2015—a year before I started this job; have I got that right?—we have really focused on....

We put those regulations in place, which allow producers to produce cannabis oil, as Ms. Black mentioned, in a variety of different forms and have been working with those who are interested in increasing the supply of that. There has really been a focus on enabling those licensed producers that want to increase that so we can ensure that....

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

I know you've been down there, so I think you'd agree that in Colorado, they have an incredibly diverse range of edible products.

[Jacqueline Bogden]

Absolutely.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Why haven't you allowed that to develop or why hasn't Health Canada come out with the guidelines around that, for at least medical marijuana consumption?

[Jacqueline Bogden]

As I said, we haven't contemplated authorizing a broader range of products.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Why is that?

[Jacqueline Bogden]

I think we were focused on enabling the cannabis oil and building that industry, by putting those regulations in place. We were focused on that. Our minds might have turned to looking at other products. Then with the change of government and the commitment to legalizing and becoming strictly regulated, I think we put some energy and attention into supporting the government on that.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

There's no other reason why you wouldn't be proceeding with edible products then?

[Jacqueline Bogden]

No, absolutely not.

I think we recognize, as many of the witnesses before this committee have this week, that we should be doing everything possible to enable people to consume cannabis in ways that will be safer and will minimize the harms. That is why this legislation contemplates bringing into force regulations for products such as edibles or concentrates and other things. That's contemplated by this bill.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Thank you very much.

Go ahead, Mr. Davies.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Ms. Bogden, the curiosity to me is that yes, the legislation contemplates edibles, but it doesn't legalize it. We're the health committee and you're the ADM of Health, is it not the case that smoking cannabis is the least healthy way of ingesting cannabis?

[Jacqueline Bogden]

Absolutely.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

However, ironically in Bill C-45, the focus of it first and foremost is to break out smoking cannabis, which is the least healthy way to do it and leave aside edibles and other products that many patients prefer because they don't have to smoke. We're leaving that for a future day down the road. That strikes me as perverse from a health point of view.

[Jacqueline Bogden]

May I respond to that?

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Yes, please.

[Jacqueline Bogden]

The legislation contemplates a range of products. When the legislation comes into force, there will be dried cannabis, which as some of the panellists here today have acknowledged, people are consuming it by vaporizing it and things like that. More important, it will also enable people to access cannabis oil, which is produced under strictly regulated circumstances. You can ingest it by drinking it. You can put it in your tea or bake it into baked goods. There are many different ways that people consume it. Therefore, it's very important that as of next July people will have access to a regulated, quality controlled supply of cannabis oil, which is a healthier way to do that, if they choose to ingest it.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

My understanding is that the problems with the oil, when it comes to vaping, is that the THC percentage of 3% means that vaporizing THC at that concentration is not sufficient to give people the concentration of THC they need.

By leaving that oil to be produced by Canadians, I guess in their kitchens, means that we really don't control, then, the mould, the sanitation, the concentration, the dosage, and the childproof containers, and that those products may end up in.... I guess that is my point.