Criminal Code

Marginal note:Selling, etc., of tobacco products and raw leaf tobacco

• 121.1 (1) No person shall sell, offer for sale, transport, deliver, distribute or have in their possession for the purpose of sale a tobacco product, or raw leaf tobacco that is not packaged, unless it is stamped. The terms tobacco product, raw leaf tobacco, packaged and stamped have the same meanings as in section 2 of the Excise Act, 2001.

• Marginal note:Exceptions — subsections 30(2) and 32(2) and (3) of Excise Act, 2001

  (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in any of the circumstances described in any of subsections 30(2) and 32(2) and (3) of the Excise Act, 2001.

• Marginal note:Exception — section 31 of Excise Act, 2001

  (3) A tobacco grower does not contravene subsection (1) by reason only that they have in their possession raw leaf tobacco described in paragraph 31(a), (b) or (c) of the Excise Act, 2001.

• Marginal note:Punishment

  (4) Every person who contravenes subsection (1)

  • (a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years and, if the amount of tobacco product is 10,000 cigarettes or more or 10 kg or more of any other tobacco product, or the amount of raw leaf tobacco is 10 kg or more,

    • (i) in the case of a second offence, to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of 90 days,

    • (ii) in the case of a third offence, to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of 180 days, and

    • (iii) in the case of a fourth or subsequent offence, to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of two years less a day; or

  • (b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than six months.

• Marginal note:Subsequent offences

  (5) For the purpose of determining whether a convicted person has committed a second or subsequent offence, an offence under this section for which the person was previously convicted is considered to be an earlier offence whether it was prosecuted by indictment or by way of summary conviction proceedings.