Online consultations open for 60 days

November 21, 2017 - Ottawa, ON - Government of Canada

The current approach to cannabis does not work. Earlier this year, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-45, the proposed Cannabis Act, to legalize, strictly regulate and restrict access to cannabis. Bill C-45 aims to keep cannabis out of the hands of Canadian youth and the profits away from criminals and organized crime.

Today, Health Canada launched a public consultation on the proposed regulatory approach for the proposed Cannabis Act. This approach builds on the extensive consultations already conducted by the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation and on Canada's existing system of regulated production of cannabis for medical purposes and industrial hemp. The proposed regulatory approach prioritizes protecting the health and safety of Canadians while enabling a competitive legal industry made up of large and small enterprises in all regions of the country to produce quality-controlled cannabis.

All Canadians and interested stakeholders are invited to share their views on the proposed regulatory approach online until January 20, 2018. Health Canada welcomes written submissions or input provided online.

The public consultation seeks input on the proposed regulatory approach, including licensing, security requirements for producers and their facilities, product standards and labelling and packaging, access to cannabis for medical purposes, and health products containing cannabis. The proposal is outlined in detail in the consultation paper: Proposed Approach to the Regulation of Cannabis.

The Government of Canada has been working closely with the provinces and territories and has engaged Indigenous partners and stakeholders. In addition to the online consultation, Health Canada welcomes feedback from the provinces and territories and will continue to meet with provincial and territorial governments, work with Indigenous partners, and hold dedicated discussions with stakeholders.

Furthermore, the Canadian Society of Forensic Science Drugs and Driving Committee (DDC) has released its evaluation standards for oral fluid drug screening devices in Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency launched its own consultation to align relevant immigration regulations with the coming into force of the Cannabis Act.