Canada to Lead ISO International Workshop on Safe Cannabis Production

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August 19, 2020

The demand for medical and recreational cannabis products is surging, with a projected worth of up to US$103.9 billion by 2024. Given the rapid growth of this industry and the challenges with respect to the safety, security and sustainability of buildings, premises, facilities and operations handling cannabis, Canada will lead an ISO international workshop to develop guidelines in these areas.

Canada is uniquely positioned to offer global thought leadership based on the initiatives taken to date to address the safety, security and sustainability considerations in coordination with regulators, government and industry stakeholders since its 2018 legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational use. 

“Canada’s experience in addressing the unique considerations in cannabis production has led to a call by industry and regulators to ensure that best practices are leveraged to reduce health and safety risks to employees, emergency responders and the general public,” said Chantal Guay, CEO, Standards Council of Canada. “SCC is proud to partner with UL to facilitate this international discussion at ISO and to develop guidance for the benefit of the global market.”

“UL is pleased to work with SCC to support Canada and the global community in developing guidance for emerging industries such as legalized cannabis,” said Joseph Hosey, vice president and general manager for UL Canada. “To be successful in Canada and at the global level, companies need a replicable model to help them protect their employees, facilities and consumers.  We’ve spoken with key players who are building premium brands and the safety and security of their operations is paramount.”

The workshop will kick off in November 2020 covering three distinct areas: Safety of cannabis facilities, equipment and oil extraction operations; Secure handling of cannabis facilities, operations and transportation; and Good production practices guide for cannabis. The goal of the workshop is to publish guidelines to submit to ISO as seed documents for the creation of an ISO Technical Committee on Cannabis.

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