Since cannabis edibles became legal on October 17, 2019, edible dosing has been limited to 10mg of THC per package. (CBD dosing is not regulated in the same way, and there is no limit on the amount that can be put in a package.)
While the 10mg limit may have been a wise place for Health Canada to start, raising the current limits on edibles dosing would better achieve their three aims for legalization than the current 10mg THC limit does.

Health Canada’s goals for cannabis regulation
At the time of legalization, Health Canada laid out three aims for their regulations:
- Keep profits out of the pockets of criminals;
- Keep cannabis out of the hands of youth; and
- Protect public health and safety by allowing adults access to legal cannabis.

Within the current regulations, edibles producers are prevented from selling any edible product that contains more than 10mg of THC per item, and per package.
When Fritz’s operated selling THC products in the Legacy Market, our most popular gummy skus were dosed at 10mg and 20mg per unit. At first glance, this doesn’t seem too far off the current edible regulations. But these gummies were sold 10 to a bag, and a package contained 100mg or 200mg of THC and sold for $15 and $25, respectively. Under the current regulations, we can make 10mg gummies, but can not put any more than one of them in a single package.

Health Canada Goal #1: Keeping profits out of the pockets of criminals
Since making the transition to the regulated space, I’ve spoken with many of my former customers who don’t buy Fritz’s gummies any more because the dosing is too low for them, especially at the current prices.
By keeping edible dosing so low, Health Canada is ignoring an important segment of customers who regularly purchase higher-dosed edibles. Many of those consumers are purchasing from the unregulated market, and they’ll keeping doing it until regulated edibles dosing limits are raised and consumers can buy the regulated products they want at prices that make sense.
If the goal is to keep profits from criminals, wouldn’t it make sense to allow for dosing in regulated products that mirrors what consumers are currently purchasing from the underground market?

Health Canada Goal #2: Keeping cannabis out of the hands of youth
Where does someone underage purchase cannabis? Here’s a hint: It’s NOT in regulated cannabis shops. It’s usually from a guy, or someone’s sister, or a mail order website, or whatever. They purchase unregulated edibles because the regulated shops won’t serve them. If these underground markets weren’t available, then young people wouldn’t be able to access them.
By keeping edibles dosing limits low, Health Canada ensures that there continues to be a thriving underground market for high-dosed edibles, which young people can access more easily than a regulated shop. If Health Canada wants to keep cannabis away from youth, then they have to get rid of as many unregulated points of sale as possible, since that’s where youth purchase cannabis. To return to my first point, unregulated points of sale will exist as long as consumers are unable to access the products they want from the regulated market.
Health Canada Goal #3: Protecting public health and safety by allowing adults access to legal cannabis
The third aim of Health Canada’s regulations is to protect public health and safety by allowing adults access to legal cannabis that is tested and regulated. But until adults are able to buy regulated edibles in doses they want, Health Canada has not achieved this aim. Right now, it is simply impossible for many adults, myself included, to affordably access the edible dosage they want in a regulated space.
How can Health Canada better achieve their goals for legalization?
It’s simple: Health Canada must allow products in market that actually represent what consumers want. Higher-dosed edibles are number one on that list for many consumers, and this should be a high priority for Heath Canada during their (delayed but maybe ongoing) legislative review. To achieve the three aims laid out during legalization, Health Canada should raising edible dosing limits to 50mg, 100mg, or even 200mg per bag in order to ensure of-age Canadians have access to the cannabis edibles they want.
Absolutely! This is exactly the issue I’ve been having since edibles were legalized. It has made the system so much worse for people who enjoy the ease and portability of gummies, but don’t want to buy 10 individually packed gummies for the next month.