Canada has imported a relatively small amount of cannabis since late 2018, and none for sale commercially, according to data provided to Marijuana Business Daily by the country’s federal health department.
The data offers additional ammunition to critics who charge Canada has in effect imposed a ban on commercial imports of medical cannabis.
Roughly 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of dried cannabis were brought into Canada between October 2018 and Aug. 14, 2020, according to the previously unpublished Health Canada data.
The country also saw 200.35 milliliters (6.8 ounces) of cannabis oil enter the country legally, the federal health department said. A monthly breakdown is not yet available.
The quantities authorized were for scientific purposes only, a Health Canada spokeswoman confirmed, meaning none of the product was destined for sale to Canadian patients.
The trickle of noncommercial imports comes as commercial exports continue to soar.
MJBizDaily exclusively reported that exports of medical cannabis for scientific and medical use have risen dramatically in recent years.
About 5,372 liters (1,419 gallons) of Canadian-produced cannabis oil products were approved for export to at least 17 countries in 2019. A year earlier, 919 liters were approved for export.
Dried cannabis exports for medical and scientific use more than doubled to 3,740 kilograms last year.
That has rankled some countries, which say the Canadian government is insulating domestic medical cannabis producers against foreign competition by not allowing imports for medical use.
A Jamaican official previously told MJBizDaily the country will make an appeal to the Canadian government “for this unfortunate position to be reviewed.”
International medical cannabis businesses also object to Canada’s position. (Read Full Article)
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