The Government of Canada has introduced legislation to legalize, regulate and restrict access to cannabis under Bills C-45 Cannabis Act and C-46 An Act to amend the Criminal Code. This legislation will come into effect on October 17, 2018.
While legalization is a federal decision, provinces and territories have been given areas of responsibility. Below you will find a list of the required activities and who is responsible.
Note: in some cases you’ll see that even though the federal government is assigned responsibility, provinces and territories will have the ability to strengthen legislation for these areas under federal jurisdiction.
Federal Responsibility Only:
- Trafficking
- Medical cannabis
- Seed-to-sale tracking system
- Production (cultivation and processing)
Federal Responsibility – with the ability for provinces and territories to strengthen legislation:
- Possession limits
- Advertisement and packaging
- Age limit
- Home cultivation (growing plants at home)
Provincial/Territorial Responsibility Only:
- Workplace safety
- Distribution and wholesaling
- Retail model
- Retail location and rules
- Public consumption
- Land use/zoning
Federal and Provincial/Territorial Combined Responsibility:
- Impaired driving
- Public health
- Education
- Taxation
- Regulatory compliance