A Canadian cannabis company that initially claimed it was granted permission to distribute and sell cocaine has now retracted that statement.
Adastra Labs — based out of British Columbia, Canada — said in a Feb. 22 press releasethat the company was given permission by Health Canada to "possess, produce, sell and distribute" cocaine.
The company also claimed it was approved to sell "up to 1,000 grams of psilocybin" — commonly referred to as magic mushrooms.
However, Adastra retracted the announcement in a later press release, saying the license only permits the company to sell controlled substances "to other licensed dealers," including pharmacists, practitioners and hospitals.
To legally posses controlled substances in Canada, companies and researchers must obtain a license granting them permission from the Office of Controlled Substances.
Adastra said the Dealer's License they were issued does not permit them to sell "coca leaf, psilocybin or cocaine to the general public."
On the same day, another Canadian company also retracted claims that it could sell controlled substances like cocaine, morphine and opium.
Sunshine Earth Labs clarified that they aren't permitted to sell controlled substances to the general public and that sale is only allowed to "another licensed dealer, pharmacist, practitioner, or hospital employee."
In Canada, the possession, production or sale of controlled substances is illegal unless authorized for medical, scientific or industrial purposes.
Possession of cocaine is punishable by up to seven years in prison, while trafficking and production can result in life in prison.
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