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Cannabis Act (S.C. 2018, c. 16)

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Act current to 2024-02-20 and last amended on 2023-04-27. Previous Versions

Cannabis Act

S.C. 2018, c. 16

Assented to 2018-06-21

An Act respecting cannabis and to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other Acts

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short Title

Marginal note:Short title

 This Act may be cited as the Cannabis Act.

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

  •  (1) The following definitions apply in this Act.

    analyst

    analyst means an individual who is designated as an analyst under section 130. (analyste)

    Attorney General

    Attorney General means

    • (a) the Attorney General of Canada, and includes his or her lawful deputy; or

    • (b) with respect to proceedings commenced at the instance of the government of a province and conducted by or on behalf of that government, the Attorney General of that province, and includes his or her lawful deputy. (procureur général)

    brand element

    brand element includes a brand name, trademark, tradename, distinguishing guise, logo, graphic arrangement, design or slogan that is reasonably associated with, or that evokes,

    • (a) cannabis, a cannabis accessory or a service related to cannabis; or

    • (b) a brand of any cannabis, cannabis accessory or service related to cannabis. (élément de marque)

    brand-preference promotion

    brand-preference promotion means promotion of cannabis by means of its brand characteristics, promotion of a cannabis accessory by means of its brand characteristics or promotion of a service related to cannabis by means of the brand characteristics of the service. (promotion de marque)

    cannabis

    cannabis means a cannabis plant and anything referred to in Schedule 1 but does not include anything referred to in Schedule 2. (cannabis)

    cannabis accessory

    cannabis accessory means

    • (a) a thing, including rolling papers or wraps, holders, pipes, water pipes, bongs and vaporizers, that is represented to be used in the consumption of cannabis; or

    • (b) a thing that is deemed under subsection (3) to be represented to be used in the consumption of cannabis. (accessoire)

    cannabis plant

    cannabis plant means a plant that belongs to the genus Cannabis. (plante de cannabis)

    chemical offence-related property

    chemical offence-related property means offence-related property that is a chemical and includes

    • (a) anything that contains any offence-related property that is a chemical; or

    • (b) anything that has any offence-related property on it that is a chemical. (bien infractionnel chimique)

    chemical property

    chemical property means

    • (a) any chemical offence-related property;

    • (b) a chemical that is not chemical offence-related property; or

    • (c) anything that contains a chemical referred to in paragraph (b) or anything that has such a chemical on it. (bien chimique)

    competent authority

    competent authority means a public authority of a foreign country that is authorized under the laws of that country to approve the importation or exportation of cannabis into or from that country. (autorité compétente)

    designated offence

    designated offence means

    • (a) an offence under subsection 9(1) or (2), 10(1) or (2), 11(1) or (2), 12(1), (4), (5), (6) or (7), 13(1) or 14(1); or

    • (b) a conspiracy or an attempt to commit, being an accessory after the fact in relation to, or any counselling in relation to, an offence referred to in paragraph (a). (infraction désignée)

    distribute

    distribute includes administering, giving, transferring, transporting, sending, delivering, providing or otherwise making available in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and offering to distribute. (distribuer)

    dried cannabis

    dried cannabis means any part of a cannabis plant that has been subjected to a drying process, other than seeds. (cannabis séché)

    dwelling-house

    dwelling-house has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Criminal Code. (maison d’habitation)

    government

    government means any of the following or their institutions:

    • (a) the federal government;

    • (b) a corporation named in Schedule III to the Financial Administration Act;

    • (c) the government of a province or a public body established under an Act of the legislature of a province;

    • (d) an aboriginal government as defined in subsection 13(3) of the Access to Information Act;

    • (e) the government of a foreign state or of a subdivision of a foreign state; and

    • (f) an international organization of states. (administration)

    illicit cannabis

    illicit cannabis means cannabis that is or was sold, produced or distributed by a person prohibited from doing so under this Act or any provincial Act or that was imported by a person prohibited from doing so under this Act. (cannabis illicite)

    informational promotion

    informational promotion means a promotion by which factual information is provided to the consumer about

    • (a) cannabis or its characteristics;

    • (b) a cannabis accessory or its characteristics;

    • (c) a service related to cannabis; or

    • (d) the availability or price of cannabis, a cannabis accessory or a service related to cannabis. (promotion informative)

    inspector

    inspector means an individual who is designated as an inspector under section 84. (inspecteur)

    judge

    judge means a judge as defined in section 552 of the Criminal Code or a judge of a superior court of criminal jurisdiction. (juge)

    justice

    justice has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Criminal Code. (juge de paix)

    label

    label includes a legend, word or mark that is, or is to be, applied or attached to or included in, or that accompanies or is to accompany, cannabis or a cannabis accessory or a package. (étiquette)

    Minister

    Minister means the member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada who is designated as the Minister under section 4. (ministre)

    non-chemical offence-related property

    non-chemical offence-related property means offence-related property that is not chemical offence-related property. (bien infractionnel non chimique)

    offence-related property

    offence-related property means, with the exception of cannabis, any property within or outside Canada

    • (a) by means of or in respect of which a designated offence is committed;

    • (b) that is used in any manner in connection with the commission of a designated offence; or

    • (c) that is intended for use for the purpose of committing a designated offence. (bien infractionnel)

    organization

    organization has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Criminal Code. (organisation)

    package

    package means any inner or outer container or covering. (emballage)

    person

    person means an individual or organization. (personne)

    possession

    possession has the same meaning as in subsection 4(3) of the Criminal Code. (possession)

    prescribed

    prescribed means prescribed by the regulations. (Version anglaise seulement)

    produce

    produce, in respect of cannabis, means to obtain it by any method or process, including by

    • (a) manufacturing;

    • (b) synthesis;

    • (c) altering its chemical or physical properties by any means; or

    • (d) cultivating, propagating or harvesting it or any living thing from which it may be extracted or otherwise obtained. (production)

    promote

    promote, in respect of a thing or service, means to make, for the purpose of selling the thing or service, a representation — other than a representation on a package or label — about the thing or service by any means, whether directly or indirectly, that is likely to influence and shape attitudes, beliefs and behaviours about the thing or service. (promotion)

    public place

    public place includes any place to which the public has access as of right or by invitation, express or implied, and any motor vehicle located in a public place or in any place open to public view. (lieu public)

    sell

    sell includes offer for sale, expose for sale and have in possession for sale. (vente)

    young person

    young person means

    • (a) for the purposes of sections 8, 9 and 12, an individual who is 12 years of age or older but under 18 years of age; and

    • (b) for the purposes of any other provision of this Act, an individual who is under 18 years of age. (jeune)

  • Marginal note:Dried cannabis

    (2) For the purposes of this Act, dried cannabis is a class of cannabis.

  • Marginal note:Deeming — cannabis accessory

    (3) For the purposes of the definition cannabis accessory, a thing that is commonly used in the consumption of cannabis is deemed to be represented to be used in the consumption of cannabis if the thing is sold at the same point of sale as cannabis.

  • Marginal note:Equivalency

    (4) For the purposes of this Act, a quantity referred to in column 2 of Schedule 3 in respect of any class of cannabis referred to in column 1 of that Schedule is deemed to be equivalent to 1 g of dried cannabis.

Marginal note:Interpretation

 Every power, duty or function imposed under this Act that may be exercised or performed in respect of an offence under this Act may be exercised or performed in respect of a conspiracy, or an attempt to commit, being an accessory after the fact in relation to, or any counselling in relation to, an offence under this Act.

Marginal note:Designation of Minister

 The Governor in Council may, by order, designate a member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada as the Minister for the purposes of this Act.

Application

Marginal note:Youth Criminal Justice Act

 The Youth Criminal Justice Act applies in respect of contraventions of provisions of this Act or of the regulations.

Marginal note:For greater certainty

 For greater certainty, nothing in this Act is to be construed as limiting the operation of the extrajudicial measures that are provided for under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Her Majesty

Marginal note:Act binding on Her Majesty

 This Act is binding on Her Majesty in right of Canada or a province.

Purpose

Marginal note:Purpose

 The purpose of this Act is to protect public health and public safety and, in particular, to

  • (a) protect the health of young persons by restricting their access to cannabis;

  • (b) protect young persons and others from inducements to use cannabis;

  • (c) provide for the licit production of cannabis to reduce illicit activities in relation to cannabis;

  • (d) deter illicit activities in relation to cannabis through appropriate sanctions and enforcement measures;

  • (e) reduce the burden on the criminal justice system in relation to cannabis;

  • (f) provide access to a quality-controlled supply of cannabis; and

  • (g) enhance public awareness of the health risks associated with cannabis use.

PART 1Prohibitions, Obligations and Offences

DIVISION 1Criminal Activities

Marginal note:Possession

  •  (1) Unless authorized under this Act, it is prohibited

    • (a) for an individual who is 18 years of age or older to possess, in a public place, cannabis of one or more classes of cannabis the total amount of which, as determined in accordance with Schedule 3, is equivalent to more than 30 g of dried cannabis;

    • (b) for an individual who is 18 years of age or older to possess any cannabis that they know is illicit cannabis;

    • (c) for a young person to possess cannabis of one or more classes of cannabis the total amount of which, as determined in accordance with Schedule 3, is equivalent to more than 5 g of dried cannabis;

    • (d) for an individual to possess, in a public place, one or more cannabis plants that are budding or flowering;

    • (e) for an individual to possess more than four cannabis plants that are not budding or flowering; or

    • (f) for an organization to possess cannabis.

  • Marginal note:Punishment

    (2) Subject to section 51, every person that contravenes subsection (1)

    • (a) is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable

      • (i) in the case of an individual who is 18 years of age or older, to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years less a day,

      • (ii) in the case of a young person, to a youth sentence under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, or

      • (iii) in the case of an organization, to a fine in an amount that is in the discretion of the court; or

    • (b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and is liable

      • (i) in the case of an individual who is 18 years of age or older, to a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment for a term of not more than six months, or to both,

      • (ii) in the case of a young person, to a youth sentence under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, or

      • (iii) in the case of an organization, to a fine of not more than $100,000.

 

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