As of October 17, 2018, Canada officially legalized marijuana, but the little green plant is facing some testy waters ahead. At this time, additional regulations for the drug are controlled by individual provinces and territories (with some regions like Quebec enforcing particularly strict laws). Likewise, our neighbor to the north has also enacted tight laws for advertising and marketing, to prevent children from being tempted to use the mind-altering plant. Now, you might understand why some newspapers in Canada have stopped sending issues to schools. So what are the laws regarding advertisements in Canada and how will they impact the sales of these papers? Let’s take a closer look at this recent issue making marijuana community headlines and find out.
Laws for Advertising and Marketing
On October 17, the Canadian government issued Bill C-45 (the act that legalized cannabis), which was partially made to ensure that children and young people were not enticed to use an illegal drug. However, to ensure this goal is met, Bill C-45 also prohibits advertisements and promotions that are appealing for people under the legal age. Due to this regulation, Postmedia Network Inc. has announced that it will no longer be distributing print versions of its papers to elementary and high schools. This way, marijuana advertisements will not appear in the Newspapers for Education program. According to Postmedia, the last print edition was sent on Halloween (October 31).
What’s the Alternative?
Nevertheless, the newspaper company will be offering digital editions, which are exact copies of the print variants with one exception: all marijuana advertisements have been digitally erased. Phyllis Gelfand (a spokeswoman for Postmedia) explained that the company is reviewing Bill C-45 to determine if print editions can be distributed at some point in the future. Overall, she has stated that Postmedia’s ultimate goal is to ensure safe, legal advertisements.
Besides advertisements, the Canadian government has also banned additional forms of marijuana marketing including testimonials, celebrity endorsements, brand mascots, and glamorization.
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