Cannabis Regulations Harmonization Amendments

Summary#

These are proposed amendments to the Cannabis Regulations intended to align parts of those rules with the Controlled Substances Regulations. The text was published on June 1, 2024; the public can comment for 60 days. If finalized, the changes would come into force on the 365th day after publication of the final text in Canada Gazette, Part II.

What it does#

• Updates several definitions so cannabis rules use the same drug terms as the Food and Drug Regulations (for example, adding “brand name,” “common name” and “drug identification number”).
• Changes how some cannabis products are treated when they are prescription drugs (including requiring brand names and a drug identification number on orders and records).
• Creates or recognizes a role described in the draft as a “licensed dealer specialized in destruction” and:
  • Allows individuals to give cannabis to a pharmacist (not in a hospital) for destruction in certain circumstances.
  • Sets who may witness destruction and what attestation and records are required.
  • Requires retention of destruction records for two years.
• Tightens and clarifies rules for pharmacists, hospitals and practitioners about selling, distributing, recording and returning drugs that contain cannabis. This includes new written-order and record-keeping details and a non-emergency process for pharmacists to transfer prescription cannabis to one another.
• Revises rules for “test kits” that contain cannabis:
  • Requires a registration number for kits used for medical, lab, industrial, educational, law enforcement or research purposes.
  • Allows refusal or cancellation of registration if the kit poses a risk to public health or could lead to diversion (for example, if it contains too much cannabis or an adulterant that would not deter consumption).
• Adds rules for travellers carrying prescription cannabis products on entering or leaving Canada:
  • Allows import/export when declared to customs, properly labelled and not exceeding a 90-day supply.
• Adjusts qualification and credential rules for staff who work in testing, growing and licensed operations, including how foreign diplomas are assessed.
• Makes many technical wording and bilingual edits (for example, replacing certain phrases with “attestation” and updating French terms).

Who's affected#

• Pharmacies and pharmacists, and hospital pharmacies and staff — for ordering, record-keeping, transfers and destruction of prescription cannabis products.
• Licensed cannabis businesses, licensed dealers and anyone designated to handle destruction of cannabis products.
• Manufacturers, assemblers and sellers of cannabis test kits, and labs or researchers that use them.
• Patients who use prescription cannabis and travellers who carry prescription cannabis products.
• Health regulators and inspectors (including staff in the Department of Health and related branches).
• Other groups with duties under the Cannabis Regulations (growers, lab testing facilities, practitioners). If it’s unclear whether a particular business or activity is affected, the proposal text is the source of detail.

Why it matters#

• The changes aim to reduce confusion by aligning cannabis rules with drug rules already used for other controlled medicines. That makes it clearer how prescription cannabis products should be labeled, ordered and tracked.
• New destruction and witness rules affect how pharmacies and specialized dealers dispose of cannabis and how long they must keep records — this matters for compliance and for preventing diversion to illegal markets.
• Test kits face stricter registration checks, which could limit street-style kits and reduce risks that kits enable consumption or diversion.
• Travellers and patients get clearer guidance about carrying prescription cannabis across borders (label requirements and the 90-day supply limit).
• These are proposed regulations, not yet law. Interested people and organizations can comment during the 60-day consultation period; final rules would take effect on the 365th day after Part II publication if approved.