Study Shows Majority of Licensed Cannabis Sellers in Canada Are Violating Cannabis Act Regulations
July 12, 2021
A study coauthored by Analysis Group and the University of Toronto reports that Canada’s cannabis industry is largely failing to meet Cannabis Act requirements regarding restrictions on marketing to minors, product glamorization, and disclosure of health risks online. According to the study, “Compliance with Cannabis Act Regulations Regarding Online Promotion Among Canadian Commercial Cannabis License Holders” in JAMA Network Open, 182 (86%) of the country’s 211 license holders with an online platform violated the regulations at least once between October 2019 and March 2020.
In spite of nearly 100% of the license holders marketing cannabis products on their websites, and more than half on major social media platforms, there is little regulatory monitoring or federal enforcement of the regulations in Canada. Given the global reach of internet marketing, a lack of regulation has a potential impact beyond Canada’s borders.
The study was coauthored by Analysis Group Managing Principals Mei Sheng Duh and Patrick Lefebvre; Theodore Witek, Jr., Natasha Y. Sheikhan, Farbod Abolhassani, and Dominik A. Nowak of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; and Ashlyn M. Pinto of Dalhousie University. No outside funding was provided for this study.