Cannabis Act

In Canadian

The Government of Canada legalized, regulated and restricted access to cannabis on October 17, 2018.

The Act implements a new comprehensive public health approach that will be more effective in protecting youth and keeping profits out of the pockets of criminals and organized crime.

The Cannabis Act creates a legal and regulatory framework for controlling the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis in Canada.

Cannabis Legalization and Regulation

What is legal ?

Subject to provincial or territorial restrictions, adults who are 18 years of age or older are legally able to:

possess up to 30 grams of legal cannabis, dried or equivalent in non-dried form in public
share up to 30 grams of legal cannabis with other adults
buy dried or fresh cannabis and cannabis oil from a provincially-licensed retailer
- in provinces and territories without a regulated retail framework, individuals are able to purchase cannabis online from federally-licensed producers
grow, from licensed seed or seedlings, up to 4 cannabis plants per residence for personal use

Protecting youth

No person may sell or provide cannabis to any person under the age of 18.

Protecting public health

Provinces and territories are responsible for developing, implementing, maintaining and enforcing systems to oversee the distribution and sale of cannabis.

Reducing criminal activity

In allowing the production and possession of legal cannabis for adults, the Act helps keep Canadians who consume cannabis out of the criminal justice system, reducing the burden on the courts.

Protecting youth

The Cannabis Act helps discourage youth cannabis use by prohibiting:

products that are appealing to youth
packaging or labelling cannabis in a way that makes it appealing to youth
selling cannabis through self-service displays or vending machines
promoting cannabis, except in narrow circumstances where young people could not see the promotion

Protecting public health

The Federal government’s responsibilities are to set:

strict requirements for producers who grow and manufacture cannabis
industry-wide rules and standards, including:
- types of cannabis products available for sale
- packaging and labelling requirements for products
- standardized serving sizes and potency
- prohibitions on the use of certain ingredients
- good production practices
- tracking requirements of cannabis from seed to sale to keep it out of the illegal market
- restrictions on promotional activities

Reducing criminal activity

Cannabis offences target those acting outside of the legal framework, such as organized crime. Penalties are set in proportion to the seriousness of the offence. Sanctions range from warnings and tickets for minor offences to criminal prosecution and imprisonment for more serious offences. Some offences specifically target people who make cannabis available to youth.

Further penalties related to cannabis-impaired driving are also included in Canada’s impaired driving legislation, along with impairment rules for other drugs such as: