12.8 Chapter Summary
Key Summary Points
- There have been various Canadian cannabis policies (e.g., MMAR, MMPR, ACMPR) and key court decisions (e.g., R. v. Parker, Allard v. Canada, R.v. Smith, Allard v. Canada) that led up to the eventual enactment of the Cannabis Act (2018) and legal recreational cannabis in Canada.
- The Canadian cannabis industry began with the medicinal cannabis industry, under the MMPR. Obtaining a licence under the MMPR was a time-consuming and expensive process. Improvements have been made in the application process under the ACMPR and the Cannabis Act, resulting in an extremely competitive industry today. The same has occurred in the provinces and territories who permit private retail sales outlets.
- The legal cannabis industry has and continues to face a variety of challenges including: access to banking industry services, the impact of the illegal cannabis market, and other industry stressors.
- In fall 2022, a legislative review of the Cannabis Act (2018) began. The goal being to develop a report for Parliament that will assist with legislative revisions and reforms meant to improve the function of the Act.
- Despite the traditional use of psychedelics throughout history and in Indigenous cultures, and the benefits found through Western-centric research, many ideas and policies surrounding psychedelics are rooted in stigma and misinformation. This is gradually changing in the 21st century, with evolving and innovative policy changes in countries like Australia, Israel, Canada, and the U.S. (particularly in Oregon and Colorado), contributing to an emerging psychedelic industry.
- Both the cannabis and emerging psychedelic industries face challenges tied to equity, diversity and inclusion that must be addressed moving forward.
Additional Resources
Below are a list of supplementary resources for students interested in learning more about the chapter topics. These resources are NOT required course materials. A list of required course materials, beyond those found throughout this chapter, are provided on the following page.
Additional Viewings
Global News. (November 17, 2020). Canada’s cannabis industry has a diversity problem [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/CEx8gi9z6kQ
Additional Readings
Crépault, J.-F., & Jesseman, R. (2022). Regulating the Legal Cannabis Market: How is Canada doing? Toronto, ON: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. https://cannabis-hub.camhx.ca/resources/regulating-the-legal-cannabis-market-how-is-canada-doing.html
Deloitte. (2022). An industry makes it mark: The economic and social impact of Canada’s cannabis sector. https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ca/Documents/consumer-business/ca-en-consumer-business-cannabis-annual-report-2021-AODA.pdf
Dyck, E. (January 15, 2023). Alberta’s new policy on psychedelic drug treatment for mental illness: Will Canada lead the psychedelic renaissance? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/albertas-new-policy-on-psychedelic-drug-treatment-for-mental-illness-will-canada-lead-the-psychedelic-renaissance-195061
EY. (2022). The impact of taxation and regulation on Canada’s cannabis industry: An economic analysis for Cannabis Council of Canada. Ernst & Young. https://assets.ey.com/content/dam/ey-sites/ey-com/en_ca/topics/cannabis-canada/pdf/ey-the-impact-of-taxation-and-regulation-on-canadas-cannabis-industry.pdf?download
George, H., Michaels, T., Sevelius, J. & Williams M. (2020). The psychedelic renaissance and the limitations of a white-dominant medical framework: A call for indigenous and ethnic minority inclusion. Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 4(1), 4-15. https://doi.org/10.1556/2054.2019.015
Health Canada. (October 20, 2022a). Taking stock of progress: Cannabis legalization and regulation in Canada. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/documents/programs/engaging-cannabis-legalization-regulation-canada-taking-stock-progress/document/pdf-lr-engagement-paper-en.pdf
Health Canada. (October 20, 2022b). Summary from engagement with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples: The Cannabis Act and its impact. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/programs/indigenous-engagement-approach-cannabis-act-legislative-review/document.html
Lamers, M. (June 30, 2023). Internal documents raise questions about Canada’s Cannabis Act review. MJBizDaily. https://mjbizdaily.com/internal-documents-raise-questions-about-canadas-cannabis-act-review/
Maghsoudi, N., Owusu-Bempah, A. & Werb, D. (2023). A Roadmap for Cannabis Equity in Canada to Inform the Legislated Review of the Cannabis Act. Toronto: Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation. https://cdpe.org/publication/roadmap-canada-cannabis-equity/
Rush, B., Marcus, O., Shore, R., Cunningham, L., Thomson, N. & Rideout, K. (October 2022a). Psychedelic Medicine: A Rapid Review of Therapeutic Applications and Implications for Future Research: Key Findings. Homewood Research Institute & Queen’s University. https://healthsci.queensu.ca/source/Psychedelics%20Research/Psychedelic%20Medicine%20Key%20Findings%20-%20Final.pdf
Statistics Canada. (October 16, 2023). Research to insights: Cannabis in Canada. Government of Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-631-x/11-631-x2023006-eng.htm
Visual Capitalist. (March 12, 2021). The history of psychedelics (Part 1). https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-history-of-psychedelics-part-1-of-2/
Visual Capitalist. (April 17, 2021). The history of psychedelics (Part 2). https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-history-of-psychedelics-part-2-of-2/
Wadsworth, E., Driezen, P. & Hammond, D. (2021). Retail availability and legal purchases of dried flower in Canada post-legalization. Drugs and Alcohol Dependence, 225, 108794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108794
Wadsworth, E., Fataar, F., Goodman, S., Smith, D., Renard, J., Gabrys, R., Jesseman, R. & Hammond, D. (2022). Consumer perceptions of legal cannabis products in Canada, 2019-2021: A repeat cross-sectional study. BMS Public Health, 22, 2048. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14492-z