Recommendations from the government cannabis committee on the legal availability of vaping products.
Context: Cannabis for recreational use was legalized in Canada in the fall of 2018. In accordance with Canadian cannabis Law, each province had to have its own law governing distribution and consumption. The province of Quebec has implemented a restrictive Law which regulate strict marketing conditions. This is reflected in cannabis consumption rates, which are the lowest in Canada. Among the characteristics specific to Quebec, note the establishment of a Vigilance Committee on Cannabis, made up of independent experts responsible for advising the government, as well as the establishment of a state monopoly for distribution, i.e. the Quebec Cannabis Society (SQDC).
Among Quebec's important distinctions is the absence of vaping products from the legal product offering. In spring 2024, the Vigilance Committee was informed of the SQDC's intention to offer vaping products. He therefore wished to produce an official notice for the government authorities regarding this situation.
Methods: A review of the literature concerning the prevalence of consumption, the share of recapture of the illegal market, the reasons given for transfer as well as the scientific data concerning the safety of vaping was completed. Discussions between the members of the Committee took place in order to provide recommendations to the government.
Results: As everywhere in Canada, the share of vaping as a mode of cannabis consumption is increasing in Quebec. However, this increase occurs mainly among the younger population (15-20 years old), who do not have access to legal products. Furthermore, the type of products consumed by younger populations (with flavor and high concentration of THC) could not be legally offered by the SQDC. Expectedly, the data shows that the share of vapers supplying the illicit market is greater in Quebec than in the other provinces, but there remains a smaller proportion of vapers in Quebec than elsewhere in Canada. Regarding the health effects of vaping (harm reduction perspective), a recent opinion from the National Institute of Public Health warns against this mode of consumption which still presents several unknowns regarding the potential health impacts, particularly in with regard to the unmeasured components that these products include.
Conclusions: The analyzes carried out by the Vigilance Committee led it to suggest that the government maintain the moratorium on the offer of vaping products by the SQDC. Indeed, not only do there remain unknowns regarding the health effects of these products, but above all, the data currently available do not allow us to conclude that this offer would make it possible to transfer consumers to the licit market without increasing the population's consumption.
