JUUL Labs, an American electronic cigarette giant targeted by an investigation in the United States for its alleged aggressive marketing practices to young people, is entering the public debate surrounding the age for consuming cannabis in Quebec. The company has just appointed a lobbyist to try to influence the Legault government on its Bill 2.
CANNABIS COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON VAPE IN QUEBEC
The warrant registered in the Lobbyists Registry specifies that JUUL wishes to "explain" to elected officials and Quebec officials how this bill, which essentially aims to prohibit the purchase of cannabis by those under the age of 21, "could affect the vape in Quebec».
The company refused to answer questions from our colleagues from Lapresse on the phone but assures in an e-mailed statement that his interest in this bill "eis strictly in relation to [his] goal of working with the government to ensure that age-restricted products are not made available to young people».
JUUL's arrival in the debate on the age of cannabis consumption in Quebec comes as Ottawa is consulting on a draft regulation that should allow, as of October 2019, the production and sale of electronic cannabis cigarettes. These devices, known as "vape pens," are very similar to nicotine e-cigarettes, but could use refillable cartridges containing up to 1000 mg of THC in oil form, according to the draft regulations.
According to the anti-smoking policy specialist David Hammond, Professor in the Applied Public Health Research Chair at the University of Waterloo, “ there is no doubt that Juul is watching the 
cannabis market».
«It's a multi-million dollar market. Canada is the perfect test to find a meeting point between vaping nicotine, smoking tobacco and consuming cannabis, whether in the form of vapor or smoke.»
No government official has met with a JUUL lobbyist yet, assures Minister of Health's office Lionel Carmant. Consultations on Bill 2 begin today in the National Assembly. "So far, we have had no contact with the company. They have not contacted us and we have no scheduled meeting with them, zero ”assured the spokesperson Maude Méthot-Faniel.
The company has 70% of the market for refillable cartridge electronic cigarettes in the United States and is already very active in Ottawa, where it currently has four lobbyists representing its interests.
