The Cannabis Act regulates the production, possession, distribution and sale of cannabis in Canada. The objectives of the Act are to prevent youth access to cannabis, protect public health and safety, and reduce criminal activity and the burden on the criminal justice system.
Cannabis Policy Briefs and Reports: See this page for cannabis-related policy recommendations based on evidence.
Parliamentary Engagement: See this page for submissions and presentations to the federal government related to the legislative review of the Cannabis Act, plus ongoing consultations on cannabis regulations in Canada.
Cannabis Policy map
Each province and territory is responsible for developing its own regulations for sale and distribution of cannabis. Each can add additional restrictions to the federal legislation, such as increasing the age of access. Individual municipalities can also pass bylaws to regulate the use of cannabis locally.
For more information, see our Interactive Map of Provincial and Territorial Cannabis Regulations, below. The first page displays cannabis regulations by province and territory, while the second page features the full regulatory details. This tool is updated regularly.
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| Commands | Shortcuts |
|---|---|
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| Move focus between sections | Ctrl + F6 |
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Interactive Map of Provincial and Territorial Cannabis Regulations
For publications that helped inform these regulations, refer to Clearing the Smoke on Cannabis: Cannabis Use and Driving, Cannabis and Driving: Questions and Answers for Policymaking, Cannabis Regulatory Approaches and Cannabis Regulation: Lessons Learned in Colorado and Washington State. CCSA has also presented briefs and testimony on Bill C-45 and C-46 to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs and the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.
CCSA has published briefs to support evidence-based decisions and actions for cannabis policy and practice: Cannabis Legalization: Year One Observations and Composition of Boards Overseeing Retail Cannabis Sales and Wholesale Distribution across Canada.