On January 16, 2020, the cannabis edibles, extracts, and topicals became available for sale online and in retail stores in Ontario. Ottawa Public Health (OPH) continues to be focused on sharing information so people can make informed decisions about cannabis.
With new cannabis products being sold in Ontario, OPH continues to encourage people who choose to use, to purchase their products from a legal source. To legally sell cannabis products in Ontario, retailers must ensure that their packaging meets legislative requirements. All cannabis packages must be plain, child resistant and contain the following labelling requirements:
- standardized THC symbol,
- brand name and one other brand element (slogan or logo),
- THC and CBD content,
- health warning,
- other required information (such as the type of strain, expiry date, etc.), nutrition facts tables for edibles, and a list of ingredients.
The package may also contain information about how to use the product. Two key elements of the package of public health interest are the standardized THC symbol and the THC/CBD content.
The standardized THC symbol means that any product that has 10 micrograms (μg) or more of THC, must be labelled with the standardized cannabis symbol. Therefore, products with even a small amount of THC will have the symbol, and the symbol warns people that the product has THC in it.
Total THC or Total CBD states how much THC and CBD there will be after the product is heated/consumed. OPH recommends choosing products with low Total THC and an equal or higher amount of Total CBD. Edibles can have up to 10mg THC per package, however, the package can contain one edible or many. For example, if the product contains 4 cookies, each cookie would be 2.5 mg or 1 cookie would be 10 mg of THC. To learn more about standardized packaging and required components, visit our website. To ensure safe storage, OPH reccomends keeping cannabis products in the original package and in a locked place that is out of reach of children. More information is available under Use Responsibly on our website.
Ottawa currently has 4 authorized retail stores and is licensing 3 new cannabis stores. However, on March 2, 2020, the Government of Ontario is removing the cap on private cannabis retail stores and moving towards an open market. Public notices can be viewed on the AGCO website, as well as a map of authorized retail locations.
