The Cannabis Act - Getting into the Weeds

The federal government's introduction of the Cannabis Act, the first step in the legalization of marijuana (or cannabis), has understandably triggered a wide range of reactions in the Canadian business community. At one end of the spectrum, employers, particularly those in safety sensitive industries, are concerned with the impact legalization will have on safety and productivity. At the other end of the spectrum, entrepreneurs see opportunity as the cannabis industry is a growing one. Health Canada recently reported that as of January 31, 2017, there were nearly 142,541 clients registered with licensed producers of medical cannabis and that the medical cannabis program is growing by 10,000 clients per month.¹