Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the fastest growing products in terms of popularity and availability in the western world in modern times. It has quickly gone from a relatively unknown substance derived from hemp or marijuana plants to a mainstream substance taken for all sorts of reasons by all sorts of people. This boom has led to a wide range of different varieties of businesses offering CBD products of all shapes and sizes.
Selling CBD in Canada is NOT the Wild West
CBD Credit Card Processing Canada
Here in Canada there is a few important regulations set forth by Health Canada regarding the marketing and sales of CBD products that you must be aware of if you are selling or plan to sell CBD. The biggest take away is this:
“You cannot make unproven health claims when marketing CBD”
Many of us are aware of the wide range of benefits that CBD is currently being used for. With claims about pain relief, anxiety relief, hunger stimulation, antioxidant benefits; just scratching the surface of things CBD is labeled as good for, it seems this is the modern day “cure all”. But Health Canada is very clear about what you can and cannot say when marketing your CBD business.
The most obvious factor is that you cannot make outright health claims. CBD is still unregulated in Canada and that means it cannot be marketed or sold as a medicine or therapeutic. Despite the fact that Cannabis is now legal for medicinal and recreational use, CBD cannot be marketed in the same way.
What Does this Mean to My CBD Business?
It means a few things but the most important is that you must be careful with how you are marketing the sales of your CBD products. Because you cannot make health claims you must be specific about the writing or marketing you are doing. Instead of saying “proven pain relief” say something like “may assist with pain relief”. But it’s smart to take it a step further and avoid claims of this kind altogether.
Many people know what CBD is used for and have their own reasons for seeking it out. It makes more sense for businesses to market their CBD sales through some other key points.
You Should Focus On:
- Purity of CBD
- Mg per dose of the CBD variety
- Flavors or recipe options for the CBD
- Usage instructions (dosage, time of day, consistency schedule, etc.).
- Where is the CBD sourced from?
- Is the CBD organic?
- How should the CBD be consumed?
- Does it have THC or not?
As you can see there is plenty that you can talk about outside of making health claims when marketing your CBD online or at your brick and mortar store. See our article on Selling Cannabis Accessories on your Ecommerce Website, here.
The Future of CBD in Canada
With the ever-growing popularity of the Cannabis and Cannabidiol industry here in Canada, the future is bright for all things CBD. We expect some more national regulation regarding CBD (similar to that of cannabis) in the near future and that could mean a more open method of marketing CBD for their specific health benefits. But for the time being be sure to use the few suggestions above.
CBD Credit Card Processing in Canada
Despite the health claim limitations there are no longer limitations on taking credit and debit card purchases for your CBD business, if you’re set up properly. Some older or larger merchant service agencies will want to label your business as “high-risk” so that they can charge much higher processing rates, hold your money for longer, and hold cash reserves. This should not be and is no longer the case as CBD and Cannabis companies are no longer deemed “high-risk” by banks and should therefore not be deemed “high risk” by a merchant service provider.
Be sure you’re getting the same fair rates and times frames for direct deposit as any other business. For the best CBD Credit Card Processing Canada, look no further than over a decade of local expertise in the industry, right here at Brother Processing. We work directly with every client, know you and your business, and are also investors in the Cannabis industry. Call today to speak with Stuart and see how we can help your business today.
