A senior government official has told the National Post that the government is open to loosening existing restrictions on nicotine pouches. Currently, the harm-reduction product can only be sold in pharmacies, but that could be set to change.
The current situation
Canada does not have a blanket ban on nicotine pouches. Instead, pouches are treated as a smoking-cessation aid, and not a consumer good. That means that strengths are limited to a paltry 4 mg, citizens can only buy them at pharmacies, and mint or menthol flavours are all that are available. Additionally, products containing more than 4 mg are treated as prescription drugs under Health Canada’s current classification.
While retail licensing, inspections, age-of-sale enforcement and additional local restrictions are still the preserve of individual provinces, the pharmacy-only rule is set by federal regulation.
Zonnic pouches are the only legal nicotine pouch available, and with the restrictions listed above, there is a broad feeling among harm-reduction groups that the reach and effectiveness of the product are undermined by the restrictions. However, that could change.
Illicit market
Of course, despite the above, Canadian citizens can get their hands on nicotine pouches. However, only through unauthorised sellers, which include some convenience stores. While many of these products are legitimate, reports suggest some high-strength pouches of dubious provenance.
Last month, the Canada Border Services Agency reported seizures of 2,796 kg of nicotine pouches valued at nearly CAD 3 million at the Blue Water Bridge during August. In addition, a policy paper reported that an enforcement collaboration involving the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and Canada Border Services Agency seized 180,000 pouches in Q1 2025 alone.
As many have suggested, this policy paradox means the authorised product is confined to pharmacies, while products that are unlawful to sell may still be more visible, easier to buy and available in more flavours and higher nicotine strengths.
Policy change?
The National Post’s reporting suggests there is political will to shore up these ill-thought-out rules. However, a policy decision is far away, and the government have even stated it's not a big priority for them.
For now, one path forward could see convenience stores allowed to sell 4 mg pouches, in licensed adult-only retail settings, while retaining strict packaging rules, a realistic minimum-age regime, visible nicotine warnings, restricted promotion, retailer penalties and sustained action against unauthorised imports and online sellers.
While this would still be excessively restrictive on strengths and flavours, it would try to make the lawful product more accessible to adult smokers.
In March 2026, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Dale Nally, Alberta’s Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling for the federal restrictions to be relaxed. Their letter did not broach the subject of flavours or strengths, which might give us a clue about how radical any reform could be in the future.
The potential upsides
Making harm-reduction products more accessible could have some big impacts. While Health Canada has not released official figures for several years, the latest data suggests an 11% smoking prevalence among the 15-and-over group.
The public health gains would justify these changes. What’s more, the government is currently spending time and resources on stamping out illicit products. Sensible policy would be a win for law enforcement and a loss for organised crime.
