Graphic Warnings on Cannabis Packaging 

Graphic warnings on cannabis packaging have to be the dumbest idea in the world. Canadian legalization already has a problem with the continued existence of the “illicit market.”

The government arbitrarily caps edibles. They also increase the costs of production through unnecessary regulatory hurdles. The plain-packaging rules harm producers trying to differentiate their products from others.

If you want an example of how not to legalize cannabis, Justin Trudeau’s “postnational” Canada is a prime example.

And it might get worse. A CLN inquiry to Health Canada confirmed that – as of now – cigarette-style warnings on cannabis aren’t in the cards. But the local Ottawa Public Health Authority (OPH) is pushing for graphic warnings on cannabis packages.

Many cigarette smokers head to First Nations reserves to buy tax-free smokes free of graphic content. It also helps support First Nation communities. But “contraband” cigarettes are nowhere near as prevalent as the underground cannabis market.

What does the OPH think will happen if they implement graphic propaganda warnings on a benign, nontoxic herb?

Graphic Warnings on Cannabis Packaging

The OPH is pushing for graphic warnings on cannabis packaging. When we say graphic, we mean graphic.

Here are some examples from cigarette packages in Canada:

And they want the same thing for cannabis? Are they out of their minds? What possible justification could they have?

OPH is Thinking About the Children!

In addition to graphic warnings on cannabis packaging, they want fewer cannabis retail stores. They justify this encroachment on our civil liberties by appealing to “the children.”

But only power-hungry authoritarians forbid capitalist acts between consenting adults. Both Nazis and Communists used this “think of the children” fallacy to win over support. It’s a disgusting tactic that has no place in a free society.

That’s not to say appealing to “the children” is always an appeal to emotion. There is indisputable evidence teens are experimenting with hydromorphone because they believe the public health BS that it’s “safe.”

(Of course, the answer is to legalize all drugs and educate children and adults on their effects).

Little girls nationwide go through a tomboy phase and are gaslit by authority figures into mutilating themselves. Objecting to that isn’t an appeal to children. 

(The answer is to separate this vast continent into tiny little countries and city-states. If some radical left-wing commune wants to gaslight children, have at it, you freaks. Most places would likely place an age restriction on making decisions such as smoking cannabis, getting a tattoo, or having a sex change.)

But what about “unintentional cannabis poisoning in Canadian children?” Doesn’t that justify graphic warnings on cannabis packaging? Aren’t cannabis-induced hospitalizations “on the rise” since legalization?

No, reports of unintentional cannabis poisonings are rising because no sane parent would have admitted to it during prohibition.

But you can’t expect public health busybodies to understand basic economics. 

Graphic Warnings on Cannabis Packaging

Graphic warnings on cannabis packaging are the dumbest idea we’ve heard this month, possibly all year. Even if we take the OPH at its word, there is a gaping hole in its logic.

The OPH says cannabis companies are appealing to children. They want to ban words like “candies” from packaging. They also don’t want edibles with “shapes, sprinkles and colours,” because they might appeal to children.

But consider what happens when a child accidentally consumes THC. There are psychoactive effects that would likely alarm them. As we’ve discussed, set and setting is paramount to a good cannabis experience.

You can imagine that a parent’s anxiety over accidental ingestion would also reflect on the kid.

But pharmacologically, THC behaves the same way in children as adults. The only difference is that a high THC dose could have an adverse effect on a developing brain and heart. 

However, to this date, there has never been a fatal overdose of cannabis. Whether in children or adults.

The Hypocrisy of Ottawa Public Health

The OPH says graphic warnings on cannabis packaging and a blanket ban on edibles that “appeal to children” are justified.

But where is the logic in that?

If the OPH cared about children’s health, they’d call for a ban on all foods with “shapes, sprinkles and colours.”

Consider the various ways refined sugar damages a developing brain and body:

• Sugar contributes to obesity, insulin resistance and other metabolic issues (like type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and various cardiovascular diseases)
• Sugar is the number one cause of tooth decay and cavities in children. 
• Refined sugar offers empty calories. It has zero nutritional value. When children consume sugar, they displace nutrient-dense foods from their diet, leading to essential vitamins and mineral deficiencies. 
• Children get high from sugar. They experience energy spikes and crashes. This can make it hard to focus and concentrate.
• The research is conclusive: high sugar intake is linked to impaired cognitive function in children. This includes reduced memory, attention problems, and poorer academic performance.
• Sugar creates addict-like behaviour in children. They crave it and get moody when they can’t have it. 

Ottawa Public Health – please shut the fuck up. If you want to include cannabis on a list of toxic substances for children, it should be far down the list.

All science and research indicate that refined sugar is public enemy #1.

This absurd crusade against cannabis will only fuel the “illicit” market and confirm that Canada is broken. We’re descending into an all-around bureaucratic nanny state.

Canada used to be a conservative country with liberal values. In the last eight years, we’ve become a liberal country with “progressive” values.

It won’t end well.