Cannabis: Health Canada called to control the labelling

QMI agency

Monday, 5 February 2018 15:33

UPDATE
Monday, 5 February 2018 15:35

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OTTAWA | doctors calling on the federal government to regulate the labelling of health products that contain cannabis, and to in particular protect consumers in the marketing misleading.

A few months from the entry into force of the legalisation of cannabis in the country, the canadian medical Association (CMA) is concerned that a proliferation of nonprescription products containing cannabis, such as the natural products and cosmetics.

If the labels of these products extol often the virtues of cannabis, such as the prevention of the nausea and the relief of the itching, the CMA reminds us that manufacturers are not required to provide scientific evidence as to their effects.

Although they are regulated by Health Canada, these products are not submitted to a surveillance as strict as for prescription medicines.

“We believe that rigorous scientific evidence is needed to support any statement about the health benefits of these products, as well as to identify risks and potential adverse effects that are associated with them”, reported by press release the president of the CMA, Dr. Laurent Marcoux.

By addressing the misleading claims of the manufacturers, Health Canada would help to raise public awareness of the effects of cannabis.

In the same vein, the CMA considers that once cannabis is legal, the labeling should be designed by Health Canada and by health experts, and producers or distributors.

“As for the tobacco and cigarettes, packaging and labelling of cannabis products provide an opportunity to raise the awareness of the population, especially the young, the ill effects of cannabis use on health, society and the economy,” said the association, which represents more than 85 000 physicians in the country.