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View all Cannabis and cannabinoids in Canada
News analysis
Global business and regulatory news covering the cannabis industry
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Daily news alerts
Daily regulatory updates of legal changes in the cannabis sector, including monthly compilations
27th November 2023
Canada: Health Canada approved the use of Epidiolex as an adjunct therapy for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), Dravet syndrome (DS), or tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) in patients aged two or older.20th October 2023
- Canada: Health Canada has announced changes to the process of adding sales authorisations for cannabis products to processing licences – applicable to all micro and standard processing licences – effective as of 1st October 2023. The health authority has started phasing out inspections for authorised activities change requests that add the sale of extract, edible, and topical cannabis products. Additionally, the submission of a number of documents will no longer be required as part of these change requests. Health Canada believes these changes will reduce the regulatory burden on licence holders and allow them to bring products to market more quickly.
11th October 2023
- Canada: The expert panel conducting the legislative review of the Cannabis Act published its report entitled Legislative Review of the Cannabis Act – What We Heard Report. The report summarises insights gathered from engagement activities with nearly 500 industry members in approximately 90 meetings conducted between December 2022 and June 2023. It tackles various policy areas such as public health, youth, indigenous people, home cultivation, adult access, medical cannabis, illicit market, and economic, social and environmental impacts. This report marks the conclusion of the initial stakeholder engagement phase, with the subsequent phase involving further multi-sectoral roundtables and discussions to enhance the expert panel’s understanding and address knowledge gaps. The final report containing advice and recommendations for the ministers is scheduled to be presented to Parliament by March 2024.
27th September 2023
- Canada - British Columbia: Federally licensed cannabis producers (federal licence holders) can now promote their cannabis by offering product samples to cannabis store licensees for a nominal fee. Cannabis Retail Store (CRS) and Producer Retail Store (PRS) licensees and their employees may accept samples from federal licence holders, but they are not permitted to distribute cannabis samples to other cannabis licensees. Additionally, they must maintain records of the cannabis samples. While there is no specific maximum size prescribed, cannabis samples should be of a reasonable size and quantity and should have little retail value.
21st September 2023
- Canada: Health Canada published the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS) 2022, which measures the prevalence of cigarette smoking, vaping, cannabis, and alcohol use among Canadians aged 15 and older. The findings are based on nine weeks of data collection from 30th November 2022 to 31st January 2023. The CTNS found that, in 2022, 39.5% (12.7m) of Canadians reported ever smoking cannabis while 10.4% (3.3m) reported smoking cannabis in the past 30 days. 2.3% (3.9m) of respondents reported ever vaping cannabis, and 5.0% (1.6m) reported vaping cannabis in the past 30 days. Consuming edible cannabis in the past 30 days was reported by 6.6% (2.1m).
25th August 2023
- Canada: Health Canada has published the report “2021-2022 Review of the cannabis cost recovery framework”, which provides updates on the advancements made in achieving crucial policy goals, in order to support a varied and nationwide cannabis industry. The report finds that high fees for cannabis businesses are preventing profits in the industry. The fees set by the Cannabis Fees Order are designed to aid Health Canada in recuperating the expenses associated with regulations. These charges encompass application screening, security clearance, import/export permit fees and an annual regulatory fee. Respondents to the report said that fees are contributing to “challenges achieving profitability and positive cash flow, which are already under significant pressure”. It also states that fees collected under the Order can impact smaller operations more than their larger competitors due to economies of scale. This report, in addition to the Legislative Review of the Cannabis Act that is currently underway, will be used to inform any potential future revisions to the Cannabis Cost Recovery Framework.
16th August 2023
- Canada: A federal court has granted Organigram’s application for a judicial review of a decision made by Health Canada. The decision in question pertains to the classification of the company’s Edison Jolts lozenges as edibles rather than extracts. This distinction is significant because any cannabis product categorised as an extract is allowed to contain more THC per package than a product classified as an edible. The court ruled that Health Canada did not provide Organigram with a sufficient opportunity to respond to the key factors that it used as a basis for its decision. Organigram CEO Beena Goldenberg called the verdict a “win” for the company, even though Health Canada could come to the same decision in the future.
9th June 2023
- Canada: Health Canada has updated the list of industrial hemp varieties approved for commercial production in 2023. The 2023 list includes the addition of the new Chola, CNAP1HOH and Jurassic cultivars. The next submission deadline is 1st September 2023; however, licence holders can submit varieties at any time of the year.
29th May 2023
- Canada: The Competition Bureau presented its submission to Health Canada and the Expert Panel in response to their legislative review of the Cannabis Act. The Bureau recommends three evidence-based measures to enhance competition in the Canadian cannabis industry: reviewing licensing processes and regulatory compliance costs, adjusting THC limits on edible cannabis products, and easing restrictions on promotion, packaging, and labelling. These recommendations aim to foster innovation, provide consumers with more choices and quality, displace the illicit market, and prioritise public health and safety.
17th April 2023
- Canada - Quebec: The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Quebec’s ban on the possession and cultivation of cannabis plants for personal purposes is constitutional. The court found that the purpose of the challenged provisions of the provincial law is to ensure the effectiveness of the state monopoly over cannabis in order to protect the health and security of the public from cannabis harm.
28th March 2023
Canada: Health Canada has launched a public consultation on potential amendments to the Cannabis Regulations. Proposals cover licensing, personnel and physical security measures, production, packaging and labelling requirements for cannabis products, and record-keeping and reporting requirements for cannabis licence-holders. Feedback can be sent to cannabis.consultation@hc-sc.gc.ca until 24th May.
Market reports
Full-length in-depth reports with detailed data and analysis for individual markets around the world
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Comprehensive legal reports outlining how the sector is regulated, interpretation of the laws and relevant bodies
Market data
Up-to-date information and insights on brands, pricing and retail across selected markets
Regulatory databases
Regularly updated global regulations currently in place, compiled into easy-to-read maps and tables
