Growing pains: An overview of cannabis quality control and quality assurance in Canada

In the past decade, the predominant prohibition model for cannabis use has shifted towards a regulated legal model, most widely in the context of medical purposes. In 2018, Canada became the first G7 country to legalize cannabis for adult use, implementing a two-phase roll-out of cannabis regulations. A stated goal of the new legal framework is to minimize harms by providing a safe supply of cannabis to Canadian consumers. One way that this can be achieved is through appropriate Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QC/QA) measures. Canada has implemented stringent QC/QA measures for all classes of cannabis, which include requirements such as labelling THC and CBD content per product and limiting THC doses. This paper will provide an overview of the current QC/QA measures in Canada, highlighting differences based on class of cannabis and consider the strengths and weaknesses of the current standards. QC/QA standards represent a key safety feature that can enable informed purchasing and provide consumers with necessary information about various cannabis products. As Canada continues to progress its cannabis policies, QC/QA measures provide a key consideration for ensuring Canada meets its objective of providing a safe supply of cannabis to Canadian consumers.