A Volunteer Displays Jars of Dried Cannabis Buds at the La Brea Collective Medical Marijuana Dispensary in Los Angeles
A volunteer displays jars of dried cannabis buds at the La Brea Collective medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles, California, March 18, 2014. Reuters

Medical marijuana advertisements in Canada have forced Health Canada for a crackdown on errant companies, who are flashing hyped and misleading advertisements about their products. On Wednesday, Health Canada sent out warning letters to majority of licensed commercial growers across the country to start cleaning up of their websites and ads that violated the official guidelines. This must be done by Jan. 12 or they will have to face suspension or revocation of licences.

Follow Norms

The letters were sent to 20 licensed producers and asked them to set limits on how their products are presented on websites and social media. In the letters, Health Canada forbids inclusion of photos of buds or hyperlinks to other websites promoting the product, reports CBC News.

The tough norms will now prevent producers from telling customers how the varying strains can treat different symptoms. In simple terms, the official diktat is to confine ads to bare-bones information. The warning letter said information by licensed producers should be of basic nature. It must cover the brand name, proper or common name of the strain, the price per gram, the cannabinoid content and company's contact information. Health Canada mandates all licensed producers to maintain a website where approved patients can order the desired strains for delivery.

The early guidelines on advertising the products were issued on June 30. However, once competition in the market heated up, firms wanted more customers and so most of them have crossed the line. In some ads, there are superior claims on the efficacy of their strains and they are shown with glitzy photos of indoor farms. The new embargo on promotional images restrains even the show of bud or leaf. This applies to Twitter and Facebook accounts, and all other social media sites, which are most potent marketing tools for the industry.

Licence Cancellation

Health Canada says those who do not follow the rules will be at risk. The London Free Press also reported that Health Canada is concerned about some advertisements, which are false, misleading and deceptive in relation to therapeutic claims. But a lawyer representing a medical marijuana firm in Ottawa blamed the rules for the mess. Trina Fraser said she has been pressing Health Canada for clarity but got "some nonsensical response." "It sounds like words like 'treats,' 'relieves' and 'prevents' will be off-limits in describing … strains," she said. The limits on advertising for medical cannabis are based on the Food and Drugs Act and the Narcotic Control Regulations, which forbid promotion of any narcotic substance to the general public. Health Canada also made clear that it has no plan to limit the number of producers in Canada but is only trying to crank up standards and requirements, making it harder for applicants to comply with tougher security and other measures.