CANADA
Imperial Tobacco Canada is speaking out against the way Bill C-45 regulates the branding of cannabis products with an advertisement it ran in the Hill Times in late October accusing the government of taking a contradictory approach to its intention of keeping harmful substances out of the hands of children.
Imperial’s ad highlights a measure of Bill S-5, or the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act, and compares it to related measures in the Cannabis Act. The bill was first introduced in the Senate in November 2016, was passed there in June, and is currently awaiting a second reading in the House of Commons.
In addition to creating legislation around vaping products, the bill also introduces provisions to permit the implementation of plain-packaging requirements on tobacco products, which is what prompted Imperial to take out an ad in the newspaper.
Bill S-5 requires tobacco manufacturers to display health warnings for consumers on 75% of a cigarette package’s surface area. Canada was the first country to mandate such warnings in 2001. The amount of space dedicated to health warnings was raised from 50% to 75% in 2012.
“But Bill C-45 permits branding on marijuana packaging since the legal industry needs branding to differentiate their products from those of the black market,” says the ad.
At present, the Cannabis Act currently permits “informational and brand-preference promotion”, enabling consumers “to make informed decisions about consumption”. Also, branding would be subject to restrictions so exposure to young people would be limited.