Cannabis Act (S.C. 2018, c. 16)

Short Title

Marginal note:Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Cannabis Act.

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

• 2 (1) The following definitions apply in this Act.

  analyst

  analyst means an individual who is designated as an analyst under section 130. (analyste)

  Attorney General

  Attorney General means

  • (a) the Attorney General of Canada, and includes his or her lawful deputy; or

  • (b) with respect to proceedings commenced at the instance of the government of a province and conducted by or on behalf of that government, the Attorney General of that province, and includes his or her lawful deputy. (procureur général)

  brand element

  brand element includes a brand name, trademark, tradename, distinguishing guise, logo, graphic arrangement, design or slogan that is reasonably associated with, or that evokes,

  • (a) cannabis, a cannabis accessory or a service related to cannabis; or

  • (b) a brand of any cannabis, cannabis accessory or service related to cannabis. (élément de marque)

  brand-preference promotion

  brand-preference promotion means promotion of cannabis by means of its brand characteristics, promotion of a cannabis accessory by means of its brand characteristics or promotion of a service related to cannabis by means of the brand characteristics of the service. (promotion de marque)

  cannabis

  cannabis means a cannabis plant and anything referred to in Schedule 1 but does not include anything referred to in Schedule 2. (cannabis)

  cannabis accessory

  cannabis accessory means

  • (a) a thing, including rolling papers or wraps, holders, pipes, water pipes, bongs and vaporizers, that is represented to be used in the consumption of cannabis; or

  • (b) a thing that is deemed under subsection (3) to be represented to be used in the consumption of cannabis. (accessoire)

  cannabis plant

  cannabis plant means a plant that belongs to the genus Cannabis. (plante de cannabis)

  chemical offence-related property

  chemical offence-related property means offence-related property that is a chemical and includes

  • (a) anything that contains any offence-related property that is a chemical; or

  • (b) anything that has any offence-related property on it that is a chemical. (bien infractionnel chimique)

  chemical property

  chemical property means

  • (a) any chemical offence-related property;

  • (b) a chemical that is not chemical offence-related property; or

  • (c) anything that contains a chemical referred to in paragraph (b) or anything that has such a chemical on it. (bien chimique)

  competent authority

  competent authority means a public authority of a foreign country that is authorized under the laws of that country to approve the importation or exportation of cannabis into or from that country. (autorité compétente)

  designated offence

  designated offence means

  • (a) an offence under subsection 9(1) or (2), 10(1) or (2), 11(1) or (2), 12(1), (4), (5), (6) or (7), 13(1) or 14(1); or

  • (b) a conspiracy or an attempt to commit, being an accessory after the fact in relation to, or any counselling in relation to, an offence referred to in paragraph (a). (infraction désignée)

  distribute

  distribute includes administering, giving, transferring, transporting, sending, delivering, providing or otherwise making available in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and offering to distribute. (distribuer)

  dried cannabis

  dried cannabis means any part of a cannabis plant that has been subjected to a drying process, other than seeds. (cannabis séché)

  dwelling-house

  dwelling-house has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Criminal Code. (maison d’habitation)

  government

  government means any of the following or their institutions:

  • (a) the federal government;

  • (b) a corporation named in Schedule III to the Financial Administration Act;

  • (c) the government of a province or a public body established under an Act of the legislature of a province;

  • (d) an aboriginal government as defined in subsection 13(3) of the Access to Information Act;

  • (e) the government of a foreign state or of a subdivision of a foreign state; and

  • (f) an international organization of states. (administration)

  illicit cannabis

  illicit cannabis means cannabis that is or was sold, produced or distributed by a person prohibited from doing so under this Act or any provincial Act or that was imported by a person prohibited from doing so under this Act. (cannabis illicite)

  informational promotion

  informational promotion means a promotion by which factual information is provided to the consumer about

  • (a) cannabis or its characteristics;

  • (b) a cannabis accessory or its characteristics;

  • (c) a service related to cannabis; or

  • (d) the availability or price of cannabis, a cannabis accessory or a service related to cannabis. (promotion informative)

  inspector

  inspector means an individual who is designated as an inspector under section 84. (inspecteur)

  judge

  judge means a judge as defined in section 552 of the Criminal Code or a judge of a superior court of criminal jurisdiction. (juge)

  justice

  justice has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Criminal Code. (juge de paix)

  label

  label includes a legend, word or mark that is, or is to be, applied or attached to or included in, or that accompanies or is to accompany, cannabis or a cannabis accessory or a package. (étiquette)

  Minister

  Minister means the member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada who is designated as the Minister under section 4. (ministre)

  non-chemical offence-related property

  non-chemical offence-related property means offence-related property that is not chemical offence-related property. (bien infractionnel non chimique)

  offence-related property

  offence-related property means, with the exception of cannabis, any property within or outside Canada

  • (a) by means of or in respect of which a designated offence is committed;

  • (b) that is used in any manner in connection with the commission of a designated offence; or

  • (c) that is intended for use for the purpose of committing a designated offence. (bien infractionnel)

  organization

  organization has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Criminal Code. (organisation)

  package

  package means any inner or outer container or covering. (emballage)

  person

  person means an individual or organization. (personne)

  possession

  possession has the same meaning as in subsection 4(3) of the Criminal Code. (possession)

  prescribed

  prescribed means prescribed by the regulations. (Version anglaise seulement)

  produce

  produce, in respect of cannabis, means to obtain it by any method or process, including by

  • (a) manufacturing;

  • (b) synthesis;

  • (c) altering its chemical or physical properties by any means; or

  • (d) cultivating, propagating or harvesting it or any living thing from which it may be extracted or otherwise obtained. (production)

  promote

  promote, in respect of a thing or service, means to make, for the purpose of selling the thing or service, a representation — other than a representation on a package or label — about the thing or service by any means, whether directly or indirectly, that is likely to influence and shape attitudes, beliefs and behaviours about the thing or service. (promotion)

  public place

  public place includes any place to which the public has access as of right or by invitation, express or implied, and any motor vehicle located in a public place or in any place open to public view. (lieu public)

  sell

  sell includes offer for sale, expose for sale and have in possession for sale. (vente)

  young person

  young person means

  • (a) for the purposes of sections 8, 9 and 12, an individual who is 12 years of age or older but under 18 years of age; and

  • (b) for the purposes of any other provision of this Act, an individual who is under 18 years of age. (jeune)

• Marginal note:Dried cannabis

  (2) For the purposes of this Act, dried cannabis is a class of cannabis.

• Marginal note:Deeming — cannabis accessory

  (3) For the purposes of the definition cannabis accessory, a thing that is commonly used in the consumption of cannabis is deemed to be represented to be used in the consumption of cannabis if the thing is sold at the same point of sale as cannabis.

• Marginal note:Equivalency

  (4) For the purposes of this Act, a quantity referred to in column 2 of Schedule 3 in respect of any class of cannabis referred to in column 1 of that Schedule is deemed to be equivalent to 1 g of dried cannabis.

Marginal note:Interpretation

3 Every power, duty or function imposed under this Act that may be exercised or performed in respect of an offence under this Act may be exercised or performed in respect of a conspiracy, or an attempt to commit, being an accessory after the fact in relation to, or any counselling in relation to, an offence under this Act.

Marginal note:Designation of Minister

4 The Governor in Council may, by order, designate a member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada as the Minister for the purposes of this Act.

Application

Marginal note:Youth Criminal Justice Act

5 The Youth Criminal Justice Act applies in respect of contraventions of provisions of this Act or of the regulations.