Hiding in plain sight
Legal pot bill could require logo, brand free packaging
Growers on the cusp of Canada’s nascent marijuana industry are bracing for Thursday’s long-awaited Liberal legislation on legal pot, which sources say is expected to require the newly unshackled drug to be sold only in plain, brand-free packaging.
The prospect of plain packaging, which tobacco manufacturers are also opposing, has pot producers warning the federal government that they won’t be able to compete with the black market without some form of branding.
Health Minister Jane Philpott spoke to a Senate committee Wednesday about requiring plain packages for tobacco products — a measure that was also recommended by the federally appointed task force on marijuana.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Philpott would neither confirm nor deny that the new bill would require plain packaging for legal marijuana, offering only that there are indeed public health lessons to be drawn from the experience with tobacco.
Prior to the bill’s introduction, a number of prominent producers lobbied the government to resist the notion of plain pot packaging.
Seven companies — Tilray, Tweed, Mettrum, CannTrust, Green Organic Dutchman Holdings, RedeCan Pharm and Delta 9 Bio-Tech — wrote to Philpott and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to warn about the potential consequences.
“Without branding and instore marketing collateral, it will be difficult to educate consumers about the products they are buying and help them differentiate between products,” they wrote.
“Brands also ensure accountability, encouraging producers and retailers to provide quality products and support in the new market.”
Members of the medical community will also be watching to see if Ottawa proceeds with a recommendation to limit sales to those over 18 — something Trudeau seemed to
endorse last year when he described it as a reasonable compromise.
The Prime Minister’s Office declined to say if he still feels that way, saying only it would
“legalize, strictly regulate and restrict access” to cannabis in a careful way to keep it out of the hands of young people and to prevent criminals from profiting.