I would like to address a growing issue that I see on a regular basis. The 10mg cap of THC in Canada on edible cannabis products. Having such a limit on a product is causing more harm than good, it’s perpetuating the stigma around cannabis and even worse is becoming an environmental concern.

I work in the cannabis industry, in a small-town at the only legal dispensary Stash & Co. Having first-hand experience at selling cannabis products has led me to see a growing issue. Having a 10mg limit is causing many customers to have to purchase uncomfortable amounts of packages at a time. While current limits allow you to purchase over 40 packs at once, you can see the hesitation in customers when having to ask for 5, 10 or 15 packs. Having to purchase such a large number of packages and then needing to return 3 – 4 days later to make another purchase would make anyone feel like they are a heavy “user”.

When in reality a person consuming to relax at the end of the day and help with resting can go through 30 – 35 and even 50 - 60 packs a week. By not having a limit, legal companies responsible for making these products could make packs with higher levels and would be purchased less often. Removing the limit and having the ability to purchase the amount that suits each consumer also helps remove the stigma around cannabis as well, as customers won’t have to feel like they’re over purchasing a product and the employees at Stash & Co don’t have to feel like they are contributing to a widespread problem of the over use of plastic packages.  

By having a limit in place, the plastic consumption to produce these packages is astronomical, we have a government who is supposed to be fighting to reduce our plastic consumption but then enacts a limit that causes an industry to use more plastic than we have ever seen in any other industry. A regular cannabis user would need to consume 5 – 7 packs! of the HIGHEST limit packages to even feel an effect!!   Some packs come with 4 small gummies some come with just 1, a full-size package and resealable bag for 1 soft candy.

In 2021 Canada’s consumption rate was around 30,000 kilograms of cannabis per month. 30,000 x 12 = 360,000 per year, in grams that would be, 360,000 x 1000 = 360,000,000 and assuming between 70-78 grams of plastic packaging are generated for every one gram of flower that would be 360,000,000 x 74 = 26,640,000,000 grams, or 58,743,109 lbs just in plastic. That is a very serious number…. Nearly SIXTY MILLION pounds of plastic.

Of course, not all of that cannabis would have ended up going to packages to be sold on the floor, some would go to processing other products like, edibles, concentrates, vape cartridges which all have their own packages so it’s possible it could be more…

It’s safe to say, a lot of plastic is going to this industry and anyway to cut down on the plastic consumption is a positive step forward.   

Lastly, another benefit would be cost saving for the company and therefore the customer, by having to produce so many packages there would be a cost savings to being able to put higher amounts in a single package. I know from our location that services an older population; any savings would be helpful.

So please, let the companies that you have legally allowed to produce these products do what’s best for their customer, their product and most of all what’s best for the environment.

As a cannabis consumer I should not have to feel that my enjoyment of a simply grown product is at the harm of the environment.

Thanks for your time,

One concerned Budtender,

Dennis Gagnon

**************************************************This petition is addressed to Health Canada, Justin Trudeau, Doug Ford Jonathan Wilkinson and David Picini.