OLDCORN: A TALE OF TWO POUCHES: Why cannabis gets the sweet deal while nicotine gets left behind

Have you ever noticed how you can easily find flavoured cannabis pouches in Canada, but when it comes to nicotine pouches, you’re stuck with mint, menthol, or plain?

That might sound like a small thing, but it shows a bigger problem with how our government handles these products.

Picture this: you walk into a licensed cannabis shop (there are plenty around) and see shelves filled with pouches in flavours like berry, citrus, and mint.

It’s easy to make a purchase, no fuss, no complicated steps, and you’re on your way.

Now imagine you want nicotine pouches instead, maybe you’re trying to quit smoking or cut down on cigarettes.

Good luck finding them.

They’re often hidden behind the counter at pharmacies, and you might even have to chat with the pharmacist about it. 

Plus, the only brand legally sold in Canada is Zonnic, which comes in a very limited set of flavours because Health Canada prevents Zonnic from being sold in fruity flavours.

This feels unfair, doesn’t it? 

On the one hand, we have cannabis pouches, something that’s purely recreational, readily available in fruity flavours. 

On the other hand, nicotine pouches, which are a harm-reduction tool, are treated like a pharmaceutical drug. 

Why is it easier to buy a product for fun than one that can help people quit smoking?

We all know convenience stores are meant to be, well, convenient. 

Many of us rely on them to grab everyday items in a hurry. 

But since nicotine pouches got pushed out of those convenience stores, people have to work harder to find them. 

In some areas, pharmacies are far away or not open late. 

One woman from Saskatchewan even told me she drives over an hour to find nicotine pouches at a pharmacy, while cigarettes are just ten minutes down the road at the gas station. 

It’s not right to make a harm reduction tool more difficult to access than a pack of smokes.

Health Canada has its “reasons.”

Officials say flavoured nicotine pouches might appeal to teenagers. 

But if that’s the case, what about flavoured cannabis pouches? 

The same fruity flavours that were banned for nicotine are still out there for cannabis pouches. 

The rules are supposed to protect young people, yet they seem to miss the point that cannabis can also pose risks.

For a long time, public health experts have encouraged smokers to switch to less harmful products, such as patches, gum, or pouches. 

These alternatives don’t produce toxic smoke and help people manage cravings. 

Flavours can make that switch easier by replacing the taste or routine of smoking. 

When we ban flavours, we remove one of the few tools that make quitting more appealing.

Yes, youth prevention is critical. 

Nobody wants kids getting hooked on nicotine or cannabis. 

But there are other ways to keep products out of young hands, like better ID checks, proper labelling, and clear education campaigns. 

Treating nicotine pouches like a shady item behind the pharmacy counter just pushes people back to cigarettes.

If Canada truly values harm reduction, it’s time we reconsider this strange double standard. 

Why let cannabis pouches come in every flavour under the sun, while telling smokers they’re stuck with plain or mint? 

Let’s make quitting easier, not harder, and put common sense back into our regulations.