Various cannabis drinks are seen in Toronto, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini
OTTAWA – The federal government has approved a change in how the cannabis content of drinks is calculated, pushing the number of standard-sized, canned pot drinks that can be bought at once from five to 48.
The change makes one gram of dried cannabis equivalent to 570 grams of a pot drink, an increase from the 70 grams of a pot drink the government currently equates to one gram of dried cannabis.
One gram of dried cannabis is also now equivalent to 70 grams of non-solids containing cannabis like oils.
The change is important because laws previously restricted Canadians from carrying more than 30 g of dried cannabis or its “equivalent” at one time and said single cannabis beverages sold in Canada must also contain no more than 10 mg of THC, pot’s psychoactive component.
Under the changes, the quantity of cannabis drinks adults can now possess at one time has increased to 17.1 litres from 2.1 litres.
Members of the industry have long pushed for this change, complaining current formulas minimize how many pot drinks people can buy but allow consumers to purchase as many as 100 bottles of cannabis oil spray containing 50,000 mg of pot’s psychoactive component in a single transaction.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2022.
