Central to the success of these policies is the requirement to make cannabis-infused
beverages accessible to consumers in a convenient and open manner while controlling
access to minors. This document recommends selling cannabis beverages alongside
federally and provincially regulated alcohol products in the same retail environments.
Liquor stores, beer stores, grocery stores, agencies, and restaurants should offer beverages
containing cannabis as an alternative to their alcoholic counterparts.
Economically, allowing cannabis-infused and alcoholic products to co-exist on retail shelves
together will produce a potential cost savings to the Canadian government in the region of
$4 billion annually.
Use of alcohol in human culture dates back several thousand years, and archeological
remains of its production exist in many regions globally. Arguably, for as long as people
have used alcohol as a stimulant, it has also had the propensity to foster abuse, harmful
health effects, and cause death. It has evolved into a large part of the social fabric, enjoyed
with impunity in many cultures. While socially acceptable to consume alcohol, its use was
called into question in the early part of the twentieth century, when alcohol underwent a
period of legally restricted use. This period of Prohibition was short-lived, and alcohol has
remained a legal substance ever since.
Cannabis has been documented as a medicinal botanical element as early 2737 B.C.,
according to Chinese legend.[i] Used to treat various medical conditions, cannabis’ potency
and use have produced stimulant effects and have been used for varying purposes for many
years. Culturally, cannabis consumption has also been accepted in some regions of the
world as a safe stimulant.
Yet cannabis’ classification by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Schedule 1
narcotic, alongside substances such as LSD and heroin, has historically relegated it to a
prohibited product in many countries, including Canada. While medical use has been
permitted in Canada since July 2001, the federal government waited until October 2018 to
pass legislation in Canada allowing for recreational consumption of cannabis.[ii] With this
federal change, Canada allows for use and decriminalization of the possession of the
product, and strict controls remain in place for many elements of its availability, including
permitted amounts, delivery, dosage, and format.