Cannabis Regulations (SOR/2018-144)
Full Document:
- HTMLFull Document: Cannabis Regulations (Accessibility Buttons available) |
- XMLFull Document: Cannabis Regulations [1248 KB] |
- PDFFull Document: Cannabis Regulations [1985 KB]
Regulations are current to 2025-04-14 and last amended on 2025-03-12. Previous Versions
PART 7Packaging and Labelling (continued)
General Provisions
Marginal note:Requirement — sale and distribution of cannabis product
106 (1) A holder of a licence must not sell or distribute a cannabis product unless the applicable requirements set out in sections 108 to 136 have been met.
Marginal note:Requirement — exportation of cannabis product
(2) A holder of a licence must not export a cannabis product unless the requirements set out in paragraph 123(1)(a) and subparagraphs 123(1)(c)(ii) and (iv) have been met.
Marginal note:Exception — shipping container
107 The requirements set out in this Part do not apply in respect of a shipping container.
Packaging — Cannabis Products
Marginal note:Immediate container
108 (1) The immediate container in which a cannabis product, other than a cannabis plant or cannabis plant seeds, is packaged must
(a) be opaque or translucent;
(b) prevent contamination of the cannabis;
(c) in the case of dried cannabis, or a cannabis accessory that contains dried cannabis, keep the cannabis dry;
(d) have a security feature that provides reasonable assurance to consumers that it has not been opened prior to receipt;
(e) meet the requirements of a child resistant package under subsections C.01.001(2) to (4) of the Food and Drug Regulations; and
(f) not contain more than the equivalent of 30 g of dried cannabis, as determined in accordance with subsection 2(4) of the Act.
Marginal note:Exception — paragraph (1)(a)
(2) Despite paragraph (1)(a), the immediate container in which dried cannabis or fresh cannabis is packaged may be transparent.
Marginal note:Cannabis plant — not budding or flowering
109 (1) A cannabis plant must not be budding or flowering at the time of packaging.
Marginal note:Cannabis plant — container
(2) The container in which a cannabis plant is packaged must not contain more than four cannabis plants.
Marginal note:Cannabis plant seeds — immediate container
110 The immediate container in which cannabis plant seeds are packaged must
(a) keep the cannabis plant seeds dry; and
(b) not contain more than the equivalent of 30 g of dried cannabis, as determined in accordance with subsection 2(4) of the Act.
Marginal note:Brand element
111 Subject to the other provisions of these Regulations, the interior surface and exterior surface of any container in which a cannabis product is packaged must not display any brand element.
Marginal note:Image
112 Except as otherwise provided under the Act, any other Act of Parliament or any provincial Act, the interior surface, exterior surface and panel of any container in which a cannabis product is packaged must not display any image.
Marginal note:Uniform colour
113 (1) Except as otherwise provided under the Act, any other Act of Parliament or any provincial Act, the colour of the interior surface, exterior surface and panel of any container in which a cannabis product is packaged must be one uniform colour.
Marginal note:Exceptions
(1.1) Despite subsection (1), the following may be different:
(a) the colour of each surface and the panel; and
(b) the colour of the container and the lid or cap of the container.
Marginal note:Colour — other requirements
(2) The colour of the interior surface, exterior surface and panel must meet the following requirements:
(a) it must not have the lustre of metal or have metallic properties in the ink, such as Pantone Metallics or Pantone Premium Metallics;
(b) it must not be fluorescent, have fluorescent properties in the ink or have pigments that absorb ultraviolet energy and transmit it as a longer wavelength, such as the Pantone 800 series; and
(c) it must create a contrast with
(i) the yellow colour of the background of the health warning message, and
(ii) the red colour of the standardized cannabis symbol.
Marginal note:Exception
(3) Despite subsection (2),
(a) an interior surface that is made of metal may be the colour of the metal; and
(b) an exterior surface of an immediate container that is made of metal, excluding the label or any image, may be the colour of the metal.
114 [Repealed, SOR/2019-206, s. 33]
Marginal note:Texture
115 (1) Except as otherwise provided under the Act, any other Act of Parliament or any provincial Act, the interior surface, exterior surface and panel of any container in which a cannabis product is packaged and any covering of such a container must have a smooth texture without any raised features, embossing, decorative ridges, bulges or other irregularities.
Marginal note:Non-application
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to the features of a container that are necessary to
(a) facilitate the opening and closing of the container; or
(b) assist visually impaired individuals.
Marginal note:Hidden features
116 (1) The interior surface, exterior surface and panel of any container in which a cannabis product is packaged and any covering of such a container must not include any hidden feature that is designed to change the appearance of the container, covering or panel, such as heat-activated ink or a feature that is visible only through technological means, except a bar code or a feature that is used to prevent counterfeiting.
Marginal note:Feature designed to change surface area
(2) Subject to section 132.27, the interior surface and exterior surface of any container in which a cannabis product is packaged and any covering of such a container must not include any feature that is designed to change the surface area of the container or covering, such as a fold-out panel.
Marginal note:Scent and sound
117 The interior surface, exterior surface and panel of any container in which a cannabis product is packaged and any covering of such a container must not be capable of emitting a scent or sound.
Marginal note:Covering — brand element
118 The covering of any container in which a cannabis product is packaged must not display any brand element.
Marginal note:Covering — image or information
119 Except as otherwise provided under the Act, any other Act of Parliament or any provincial Act, the covering of any container in which a cannabis product is packaged must not display any image or information.
Marginal note:Covering — transparent and colourless
120 Except as otherwise provided under the Act, any other Act of Parliament or any provincial Act, the covering of any container in which a cannabis product is packaged must be transparent and colourless.
Marginal note:Cut-out window
121 (1) The interior surface, exterior surface and panel of any container in which a cannabis product is packaged must not include any cut-out window.
Marginal note:Exception
(2) Despite subsection (1), any container in which dried cannabis, fresh cannabis or cannabis plant seeds are packaged may include cut-out windows.
Marginal note:Bar code
122 (1) One or two bar codes may be displayed, only once each, on any container in which a cannabis product is packaged.
Marginal note:Colour
(2) Every bar code must be printed in black and white.
Marginal note:Wrapper
122.1 A wrapper may be used with respect to a cannabis product only if
(a) it is in direct contact with the cannabis or the cannabis accessory and with one or both of the following:
(i) the immediate container of the cannabis product,
(ii) a wrapper that is in direct contact with the cannabis or the cannabis accessory; and
(b) it is required to maintain the quality or stability of the cannabis product.
Marginal note:Packaging requirements — other Regulations
122.2 The following immediate container and wrappers must meet the requirements set out in Division 23 of Part B of the Food and Drug Regulations and subparagraphs 186(a)(i), (ii) and (v) to (vii) of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations as if the cannabis that the immediate container contains or with which the wrappers are in direct contact were a food for the purposes of that Division and those subparagraphs:
(a) the immediate container in which edible cannabis — or a cannabis accessory that contains edible cannabis — that is a cannabis product is packaged;
(b) any wrapper that is in direct contact with edible cannabis — or a cannabis accessory that contains edible cannabis — that is a cannabis product; and
(c) any wrapper that is in direct contact with a cannabis extract that is intended for ingestion — or a cannabis accessory that contains cannabis extract intended for ingestion — that is a cannabis product.
Marginal note:Maximum quantity — cannabis extract
122.3 The immediate container of a cannabis extract that is a cannabis product must not contain more than 90 mL of extract that is in non-solid form at a temperature of 22 ± 2°C.
Marginal note:Outermost container
122.4 (1) The outermost container in which a cannabis product is packaged must not contain
(a) food;
(b) more than one class of cannabis set out in Schedule 4 to the Act; or
(c) more than one immediate container.
Marginal note:Exception — multiple immediate containers
(2) Despite paragraph (1)(c), the outermost container may contain more than one immediate container if the following requirements are met:
(a) in the case of dried cannabis or fresh cannabis,
(i) the outermost container,
(A) meets the requirements of section 124, if it contains cannabis that is in discrete units and that is not intended to be consumed by means of inhalation,
(B) meets the requirements of section 124.1, if it contains cannabis that is in discrete units and that is intended to be consumed by means of inhalation, or
(C) despite section 125, meets the requirements of section 124.1 if it contains cannabis that is not in discrete units, as if it were in discrete units;
(ii) the immediate containers meet the requirements of
(A) section 124, if they contain cannabis that is in discrete units and that is not intended to be consumed by means of inhalation,
(B) section 124.1, if they contain cannabis that is in discrete units and that is intended to be consumed by means of inhalation, or
(C) section 125, if they contain cannabis that is not in discrete units;
(iii) the quantity of cannabis contained in the outermost container does not exceed the equivalent of 30 g of dried cannabis, as determined in accordance with subsection 2(4) of the Act, and
(iv) the properties of the cannabis are consistent in all immediate containers;
(b) in the case of a cannabis extract,
(i) the outermost container,
(A) meets the requirements of section 132.1, if it contains cannabis that is in discrete units and that is not intended to be consumed by means of inhalation,
(B) meets the requirements of section 132.11, if it contains cannabis that is in discrete units and that is intended to be consumed by means of inhalation, or
(C) despite section 132.12, meets the requirements of section 132.11 if it contains cannabis that is not in discrete units, as if it were in discrete units;
(ii) the immediate containers meet the requirements of
(A) section 132.1, if they contain cannabis that is in discrete units and that is not intended to be consumed by means of inhalation,
(B) section 132.11, if they contain cannabis that is in discrete units and that is intended to be consumed by means of inhalation, or
(C) section 132.12, if they contain cannabis that is not in discrete units;
(iii) the quantity of cannabis contained in the outermost container does not exceed the equivalent of 30 g of dried cannabis, as determined in accordance with subsection 2(4) of the Act, and
(iv) the properties of the cannabis are consistent in all the immediate containers;
(c) in the case of a cannabis topical,
(i) the outermost container,
(A) meets the requirements of section 132.15, if it contains cannabis that is in discrete units, or
(B) despite section 132.16, meets the requirements of section 132.15 if it contains cannabis that is not in discrete units, as if it were in discrete units;
(ii) the immediate containers meet the requirements, of
(A) section 132.15, if they contain cannabis that is in discrete units, or
(B) section 132.16, if they contain cannabis that is not in discrete units;
(iii) the quantity of cannabis contained in the outermost container does not exceed the equivalent of 30 g of dried cannabis, as determined in accordance with subsection 2(4) of the Act, and
(iv) the properties of the cannabis are consistent in all the immediate containers;
(d) in the case of edible cannabis,
(i) the outermost container,
(A) meets the requirements of section 132.18, if it contains cannabis that is in discrete units, or
(B) despite section 132.19, meets the requirements of section 132.18 if it contains cannabis that is not in discrete units, as if it were in discrete units;
(ii) the immediate containers meet the requirements, of
(A) section 132.18, if they contain cannabis that is in discrete units, or
(B) section 132.19, if they contain cannabis that is not in discrete units;
(iii) the quantity of cannabis contained in the outermost container does not exceed the equivalent of 30 g of dried cannabis, as determined in accordance with subsection 2(4) of the Act, and
(iv) the properties of the cannabis are consistent in all the immediate containers.
Marginal note:Interpretation — “unit”
(3) References to “unit” are to be read as references to “immediate container”
(a) for the purposes of subparagraph (2)(a)(i), in paragraphs 124(1)(b) and (c) and 124.1(b) and (c);
(b) for the purposes of subparagraph (2)(b)(i), in paragraphs 132.1(1)(b) and (c) and 132.11(b) and (c);
(c) for the purposes of clause (2)(c)(i)(A), in paragraphs 132.15(b) and (c);
(d) for the purposes of clause (2)(c)(i)(B), in paragraphs 132.15(b), (c), (e) and (g);
(e) for the purposes of clause (2)(d)(i)(A), in paragraph 132.18(1)(b); and
(f) for the purposes of clause (2)(d)(i)(B), in paragraphs 132.18(1)(b), (d), and (h).
- Date modified: