If you have sent in a renewal application to Health Canada, and nothing has changed, you may continue to produce cannabis for your own medical purposes. We will contact you after we review your application.

If you are registered to buy or grow cannabis for medical purposes, you may be eligible for a 6-month extension to your registration. This applies to registrations expiring between March 13, 2020 and September 30, 2020.

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Temporary changes to the registration process due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Due to COVID-19, Health Canada is extending the expiry date of registrations by 6 months.

This applies to anyone who is registered with Health Canada or a licensed seller, and whose registration expires between March 13, 2020 and September 30, 2020.

If your registration expires during this period, you may continue to use it for 6 more months. If you can safely access your health care provider and obtain a new medical document during this time, you are strongly encouraged to do so.

If your registration expired between March 13, 2020 and June 25, 2020, the 6-month extension starts on June 26, 2020. If your registration expires between June 26, 2020 and September 30, 2020, the 6-month extension starts the day after it expires.

You can find more information about this temporary change, as well as a copy of the regulatory amendment in the Canada Gazette, Part ll.

Health Canada and licensed sellers continue to process new registrations. You may submit an application with a new medical document if you can obtain one.

Access to cannabis for medical purposes

The Cannabis Act came into force on October 17, 2018. Since that date, new regulations have replaced the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR).

Some changes have been made to improve patient access.

Patients authorized by their health care provider are still able to access cannabis for medical purposes by:

Subject to the legal age limit in their province or territory, they are also able to buy cannabis:

at provincial or territorial authorized retail outlets

through provincial or territorial authorized online sales platforms

For those accessing cannabis for medical purposes from a federally licensed seller

Under the new regulations there are improvements for patients accessing cannabis for medical purposes from federally licensed sellers.

These improvements include:

the ability to request the return of their medical document from a federally licensed seller

the ability to request the transfer of their medical document to a different federally licensed seller

that the effective date on the registration document will be the day it is issued, rather than the day the medical document was signed by the health care provider

removal of the 30-day limitation period for buying cannabis from a federally licensed seller (to ensure no break in a patient's supply)

a broader range of permitted products

access to an increasing number of licensed producers and sellers (Health Canada has licensed more producers in the last year than in the 4 previous years combined). The increasing number of licensed producers enables: competitive prices more supply of cannabis an increased availability of a range of products



For those registered with Health Canada to produce their own cannabis for medical purposes or who are designating someone to do it for them

Under the new regulations, patients continue to be able to register with Health Canada to produce their own cannabis or designate someone to produce it for them. Improvements for these patients include that:

the effective date on the registration document is the day it is issued, rather than the day the medical document was signed by the health care provider

the registration remains valid until a renewal decision has been made, if Health Canada has received a renewal application before your certificate expires

Impact of the Cannabis Act on registered patients

Patients registered under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) do not need to do anything at this time. Your current registration has: transitioned automatically to the Cannabis Act and new regulations

kept its existing expiry date (unless your registration is cancelled for other reasons) If your registration for personal (or designated) production is expiring soon, please submit your renewal application and medical document at least 8 weeks before expiry.

Possession and personal storage limits under the Cannabis Act

The new regulations remove personal storage limits for patients. Like any adult Canadian, they can store as much cannabis as they want at home.

Public possession limits remain the same for authorized patients who are registered with a federally licensed seller or with Health Canada:

The lesser of 150 grams or a 30-day supply of dried cannabis (or the equivalent in cannabis product) in addition to the 30 grams allowed for non-medical purposes

Those authorized to access cannabis for medical purposes must be prepared to show they are legally allowed to possess more than 30 grams (or equivalent) in public, if requested by law enforcement. This can be done by showing:

Their registration document issued by a federally licensed seller

Their registration certificate issued by Health Canada for personal or designated production

Their registration certificate issued by Health Canada for possession only This new registration for possession only is available to meet the needs of those choosing to access their supply of cannabis for medical purposes exclusively from a provincial or territorial authorized retail outlet or authorized online sales platform



Find more information on how to register with Health Canada for personal or designated production, or for possession only.

Other improvements and benefits for patients

Other benefits to patients include that: