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Cannabis Legalization and Regulation
Canada's Cannabis Act
The federal government has introduced legislation, the proposed Cannabis Act, which will make non-medical cannabis legal in Canada. The regulations for medical cannabis will not change.
While the federal government made the decision to legalize cannabis, provinces and territories are tasked with developing regulations in certain areas. Below is a table showing what provinces and territories have the authority to regulate:
|
|
Responsibility |
||
|
Federal |
Provincial |
Municipal |
|
|
Possession limits |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Trafficking |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Advertisement and packaging * |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Impaired driving |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Medical cannabis |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Seed-to-sale tracking system |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Production (cultivation and processing) |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Age limit (federal minimum) |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Public health |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Education |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Taxation |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Home cultivation (growing plants at home) |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Workplace safety |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Distribution and wholesaling |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Retail model |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Retail locations and rules |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Regulatory compliance |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Public consumption |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Land use and zoning |
No |
No |
Yes |
* The federal government's proposed Cannabis Act includes restrictions on several types of promotional activities, such as:
- promotion considered appealing to youth
- promotion that includes false, misleading or deceptive information
- promotion through sponsorship, testimonials or endorsements
- promotion using the depictions of persons, celebrities, characters or animals
These proposed restrictions on promotion are meant to protect youth from being persuaded to use cannabis through marketing or advertising. At the same time, adult consumers need to have clear, objective information so they can make informed decisions about using cannabis. To make sure clear information is available to adult consumers, the legislation would require:
- factual and accurate information about cannabis products
- information about the level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, which is the main active ingredient in cannabis) in products
- information on any other ingredients that have been added to cannabis products