New Horizons for Vaping Technology
New Horizons for Vaping Technology
October 17th 2019 will mark the first-year anniversary of Cannabis legalization here in Canada, but it also marks the beginning of something much bigger that will affect vapers everywhere. The Federal government has announced that it intends to legalize and regulate edible cannabis products, beverages, as well as cannabis extracts intended for ingestion and inhalation by no later than October 17th of this year.
They have outlined their proposed regulations and pending a 60-day review period that ends on February 20th, the public has a chance to voice their opinion. Here is what is currently on the table:
It’s no secret that the public has been vocal about their disappointment with the proposed regulations in the edible categories, but nobody is really talking about the extracts for inhalation – this is where vaping comes in. Unsurprisingly, vapable THC e-liquids, oils and extracts have been the stars of the cannabis black market for years now, but now that they will become legal, the market is predicted to explode.
What does this mean for vapers? The good news is that the majority of us vape for the harm reduction aspect, and this is a huge opportunity for cannabis users to do the same, and legally! Combustible cannabis may not contain the chemical additives found in cigarettes, but it is still full of tar and burning it is not the ideal method of consumption from a health perspective.
Also of note is the staggering amount of THC allowance proposed for these products. According to the chart above containers may contain up to 1000mg of THC at a maximum container size of 90ml. These numbers are much more “generous” than the proposed regulations for edibles or beverages which may explain why there hasn’t been nearly as much media attention.
Used in the proper devices these liquid extracts have the potential to be quite potent, to the benefit of more experienced users, but can easily be scaled down for those less experienced. Perhaps the best part about this product category is that the liquids (if regulated and tested correctly) will be much more consistent in their potency than dried flower. In fact, every bottle should be exactly the same. The importance of consistency for a new product in a new market is paramount, and coupled with detailed packaging and labeling will mean less harmful and more precise products for the cannabis market.
It remains to be seen how the launch of these new products will be received in the public, but once things are smoothed out we can expect them to change the way Cannabis is consumed along with an increase in demand for specialized vaping hardware across the country.