New cannabis products: What Canadians need to know

Described video

Transcript - New cannabis products: What Canadians need to know

Animated video.

Shapes of different colours in the centre of the screen slide out to the corners to reveal a cannabis leaf.

Narrator: Edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals are now legal in Canada for adults to purchase.

A sticker appears on the leaf.

Text on screen: "New cannabis products are now legal for sale in Canada"

Narrator: However, it will take time before these new cannabis products become available for purchase.

The image zooms into the leaf to reveal a calendar. The calendar flips through the months of October 2019 to December 2019 before disappearing.

Narrator: Here's what you need to know about these new products…

The image zooms back out to see the cannabis leaf again.

The leaf separates into 3 portions to then reveal the 3 types of products:

• A baked good with the text "Edibles" written under it.
• A vape pen with the text "Extracts" written under it.
• and a tube of cream with the text "Topicals" written under it.

Narrator: …including ways you can lower the risks to your health, if you choose to consume cannabis.

The images of the baked good, vape pen and tube of cream are now surrounded by a thought bubble that is next to a woman.

Narrator: Start with a low level of THC: for example, 2.5 mg or less in cannabis products that you eat or drink.

The vape pen and tube of cream disappear. A number showing the THC level of the baked good becomes prominent. The numbers start at 2.5 mg and decrease to 0.5mg before disappearing.

Text on Screen: "Check the amount of THC"

Text on screen: "Start low, go slow"

The images zooms out to reveal the woman's full body.

The screen is split in half and the female character is duplicated: one half of the screen is about ingesting cannabis, illustrated by the baked good, and the other half about inhaling cannabis, illustrated with the vape pen.

A clock indicates the elapsed time for the impairment effects of cannabis to set in.

Narrator: Compared to inhaling cannabis, it can take longer to feel the effects of cannabis that you eat or drink: up to two hours to begin to feel the effects, and up to four hours to feel the full effects.

As the clock keeps spinning, the impairment level reaches its peak a lot faster on the inhaling side than on the ingestion side. At the 2-hour mark, the woman on the inhaling side has already reached the full effects of cannabis while the woman on the ingestion side has just started to feel the effects. The woman on the ingestion side looks at her watch as the effects take longer to appear. At the 4-hour mark, the effects on the ingestion side reach their peak.

The effects of eating or drinking cannabis can last up to 12 hours, and some residual effects could last up to 24 hours.

When the clock indicates 12 hours, the ingestion effects levels are still elevated while the levels on the inhaling side have reduced. The ingestion impairment levels stays up significantly longer as the clock keeps spinning. At the 24-hour mark, a residue of effects remains visible.

Narrator: If you've consumed cannabis, do not drive.

The image zooms in on the clock that morphs into a steering wheel. A red "X" appears over the steering wheel.

Narrator: Store all cannabis products safely and keep them out of the reach of children, youth and pets.

The baked good takes prominence on the screen again and the vape pen and the tube of cream join it on a shelf. Cupboard doors close on the products and a lock appears on the doors.

The image zooms out to reveal a kitchen and the cupboard with the lock is clearly out of reach. A little boy with a dog passes by, unaware of the cannabis products.

Text on Screen: "Store all cannabis products securely"

Narrator: This is particularly important for edible cannabis, which may be mistaken for regular food or drink.

The image zooms in to highlight a jar of ordinary cookies and a cup of tea sitting on the kitchen counter.

Narrator: Find out more and get the facts at Canada.ca/Cannabis.

The coloured shapes in the corners of the screen animate to reveal the web address: Canada.ca/Cannabis

Narrator: A message from the Government of Canada.