Canada is in the process of legalizing adult-use pot, and most people are ecstatic over it. This is especially true for the licensed producers (LPs) of cannabis across the nation.
A point of contention, however, exists over the proposed packaging and advertising guidelines put forth by the government.
When the long-awaited Bill C-45 hit the floor in Parliament, one of the recommendations was that cannabis producers and related companies should not be allowed to advertise, nor should they be permitted to use branded advertising labels on packages containing their products.
Due to this seemingly extreme prerequisite, some of the biggest names in Canadian cannabis have banded together with the help of Advertising Standards Canada. This meeting of the minds is an effort to create guidelines for packaging and advertising on all pot products in the Great White North.
“There’s a group of us, it’s 16 producers who collectively represent about 90 percent of the [Canadian] market,” said Jordan Sinclair, Director of Communications for Canopy Growth Corporation in an interview with Marijuana.com. Sinclair added that the group plans to get together to discuss what advertising standards should look like.
“A lot of industries are self-regulated when it comes to advertising, and the benefit is that you end up having everyone following the rules because it’s in your own best interest to do so.”
Sinclair stated that an important reason for cannabis producers to have branding on their packages is to differentiate their product from the weed on the street. “We’re looking to take market share away from the black market. There has to be some advertising, packaging, and branding allowed so that the industry can be given the tools it needs to succeed in that endeavor.”
Although it looks very much like the government and the LPs are at opposite ends of the table on this subject, Sinclair says that there are some sympathetic ears among regulators. “There have been government officials who have signaled that we will be able to differentiate our brands from one another on store shelves. I feel that is the starting point for the conversation.”
One of the more fascinating aspects of this licensed weed coalition is that it creates strange bedfellows.
“There will always be some differences between how producers want to operate within the framework they are allowed to, but this just seems like it’s an area where we want to show that the industry can be unified and act in a responsible way,” added Sinclair.
Another gargantuan ganja seller who is part of this group of 16 is mega-producer Aurora Cannabis.
“I think the government will give our recommendations full consideration because it’s entirely aligned with the federal government’s key objective of replacing a vast illegal market with a legal, regulated and restricted market,” said Cam Battley, Executive Vice President of Aurora in an interview with Marijuana.com.
Battley added that we don’t need to look far to see similar guidelines in other Canadian industries that can be used as a model. “There’s no need to reinvent the wheel here. We’ve had a regime in place with federal and provincial guidelines and restrictions on beer, wine, and liquor for decades. It’s entirely appropriate to adapt those existing regulations to cannabis.”
The guidelines for liquor are very specific, but LPs like Aurora believe that they are perfectly transferable to any other adult pastime products, like cannabis. “These are appropriate restrictions.”
Battley also recognized the importance of these rules, having mentored children for many years. “I’ve been a scout leader for almost a decade and I’ve been a soccer coach for both my kids. I don’t want underage kids using cannabis any more than I want them using alcohol or psychoactive prescription drugs.”
Although this move on behalf of cannabis producers is incredibly proactive, will this attempt at a dialogue fall on deaf ears or will the government listen? Battley believes the latter is true. “I’m optimistic that the government will give our recommendations full consideration.”
For years, many Canadians have been fighting for cannabis to be removed from the shadows of prohibition. As the process of legalization continues, it’s clear that it takes a lot more red tape to legitimize something than it does to prohibit its use.
credit:marijuana.com
