Stricter Ad Restrictions for Canadian MMJ Producers on Tap

Canadian medical marijuana suppliers won’t be able to tell their customers what different strains smell like. Or taste like. Or what they feel like when consumed.

That’s because Health Canada, the federal agency that oversees the country’s MMJ industry, has issued a series of strict new regulations on advertising for producers. The new rules ban posting photos of marijuana plants on their websites, using social media to promote articles about health benefits of cannabis and even describing strains to patients.

The rules were outlined in letters sent to 16 Canadian MMJ producers, who were also warned that if they don’t comply by Jan. 12, their business licenses could be canceled. More than 1,000 private companies have applied for production licenses, but as of October, the country was looking at licensing about 21.

There are just under 29,000 registered MMJ patients in Canada.