Here’s another example of bureaucratic bullshit that only a government, namely the Government of Canada and Health Canada would consider a real threat.
Recently, a pretty cool craft brewery got in trouble for importing what was deemed ‘unlicensed’ medical equipment.
You know what that medical device was? Condoms.
The Good Robot Brewing Company, in Halifax, Nova Scotia is a pretty cool establishment, run by a bunch of guys that just want to make good beer, and share it with their friends. Not only do they make the beer there, but they have a taproom and bar for immediate consumption and enjoyment of their wares.
They’ve gotten into the habit of branding stuff with their logo to promote themselves, which is standard for businesses.
They’ve got growlers, with their robot guy (named Robie, by the way)
They’ve also done the usual Matchbooks, and they sell rolling papers with the logo.
But they wanted to try something different and what goes great with beer and general merriment?
Sex!
According to the CBC, The Good Robot Brewing Company ordered 100 branded condoms from a North Carolina company.
What they wanted to do was offer a safe sex option in their taproom, bar and retail areas.
Earlier this week, they got this notice from Health Canada that they shared on Facebook; their condoms weren’t coming.
Their condoms were seized at the border because they didn’t comply with the rules of importing ‘medical equipment.’ According to them, the manufacturing company is US FDA approved, but not Health Canada approved.
Here’s a closer look at the form. According to the notes: a) the brewery doesn’t have a license to import or sell medical devices and b) the manufacturer of the device needs to hold a license in Canada.
Right off the bat, since when is a condom a complicated medical device? Apparatus maybe, quite possibly a medical ‘tool’, but a device? Maybe something didn’t quite translate from French?
More so, even though these US made condoms are the same as Canadian made condoms (we’re assuming; what would we do differently? Maple syrup, hockey puck rubber instead of latex?), the condoms can’t enter Canada because they’re not manufactured here. What’s more baffling is that all the company did was stamp a logo on the wrapper. Nothing was done to the condom itself.
So what did the guys do about it? It sat with them for a bit. It did cost $200 for those 100 condoms, and what would their patrons do without protection from Robie the Robot?
Then they admittedly laughed to themselves for a bit and drowned their sorrows.
A lot.
In the end, it was a lesson in import/export rules for the guys and now they’re looking for a local Canadian company that can get them the condoms, sorry, ‘medical devices,’ legally.
