A cannabis tracking system could be implemented in Canada

Canada might have a cannabis tracking system once legalization hits, but it’s nothing to get paranoid about.

Last November, Health Canada released a consultation paper to hear the public’s views and thoughts about the proposed regulations for the legal cannabis industry – and after a 60-day consultation, the public has spoken.

The feedback will be helpful to shape federal cannabis legislation that will be implemented when the recreational use of marijuana becomes legal later this year.

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One of the sections of the consultations asked what people thought about a national cannabis tracking system, with the purpose of tracking the moves of “cannabis throughout the supply chain to help prevent diversion of cannabis into, and out of, the legal market.”

The proposed system will not track individual cannabis users, but would keep a record of cannabis at every stage, from research process, to production, sales, and transportation. According to Health Canada, the tracking system would be helpful to address recalls and to prevent licensed products from being sold in the illegal market.

Majority of the respondents on this particular section expressed their support for the system, highlighting the ability to track cannabis throughout the supply chain.

However, many pointed out some of the potential challenges that the proposed system would face.

Implementing the informative technology system can be difficult and costly, especially for small businesses.

In response to this, Health Canada is giving consideration to “minimizing the burden of those required to report, particularly micro-scale licensees and industrial hemp producers.”

There are still some question marks on how this would work exactly. However, the tracking mechanism would be based on, and expand from, the current medical cannabis tracking system, that includes detailed records of transactions, suppliers, and clients.

So don’t worry, there won’t be any micro-chips hiding in your joints.