Own your ow legal marijuana business
Your guide to making money in the multi-billion dollar marijuana industry
Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy
Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs
Volume 2 - Policies and Practices In Canada
Chapter 12 - The National Legislative Context
Part I: Offences and Punishment

Participation in the aforementioned activities would not necessarily result in criminal penalties. As will be seen below, the act provides for regulations authorizing the possession, import and export and production for medical, scientific, industrial purposes or for the purposes of the act. Part I of the CDSA enumerates a number of types of offences:

 

(1) Possession of a Schedule I, II or III substance (subsection 4(1)); obtaining or seeking to obtain a Schedule I, II, III or IV substance, or the order necessary to obtain it from a practitioner (subsection 4(2)). The following table shows the maximum penalties for the offence of possession:[1][121]  

Possession of a Schedule I Substance

Indictable offence

Summary conviction

Reoffence

Seven years' imprisonment

Fine of $1,000 or 6 months' imprisonment or both

Fine of $2,000 or one year's imprisonment or both

Possession of a Schedule II Substance (cannabis in all its forms):

Indictable offence

Summary conviction

Reoffence

Five years' imprisonment less a day

Fine of $1,000 or 6 months' imprisonment or both

Fine of $2,000 or one year's imprisonment or both

Possession of a Schedule VIII Offence

(less than 1 g of cannabis resin (hashish) or less than 30 g of marijuana)

Summary conviction only

Fine of $1,000 or 6 months' imprisonment or both

Possession of a Schedule III Substance

Indictable offence

Summary conviction

Reoffence

3 years' imprisonment

Fine of $1,000 or 6 months' imprisonment or both

Fine of $2,000 or one year's imprisonment or both

 

The penalties imposed for the offence under subsection 4(2) are similar but slightly different from those provided for possession.

 

(2) Trafficking in a Schedule I, II, III or IV substance or any substance represented to be such a substance. Trafficking is defined as any transaction to sell, administer, give, transfer, transport, send or deliver a schedule substance, or to offer to do any one of those things. To “sell” means offering for sale, exposing for sale, having in one's possession for sale and distributing a substance, whether or not the distribution is made for consideration (subsection 5(1)); possessing any Schedule I, II, III or IV substance for the purpose of trafficking (subsection 5(2)). The following table shows the maximum penalties for these offences:

 

Trafficking in a Schedule I or Schedule II Substance

(except in cases involving less than 3 kg of cannabis)

Indictable offence

No summary conviction offence

Life imprisonment

 

Trafficking in a Schedule III Substance

Indictable offence

Summary conviction

 

10 years' imprisonment

18 months' imprisonment

 

Trafficking in a Schedule IV Substance

Indictable offence

Summary conviction

Fine of $1,000 or 6 months' imprisonment or both

One year's imprisonment

 

Trafficking in cannabis is not always punishable by the maximum penalty of life imprisonment. In cases of trafficking involving less than 3 kg of cannabis, a person is guilty of an indictable offence and subject to a maximum term of five years’ imprisonment less a day.

 

(3) Importing or exporting any Schedule I to VI substance (subsection 6(1)); having in one’s possession any Schedule I to VI substance for the purpose of exporting it (subsection 6(2)). The following table shows the maximum penalties for these offences:

 

Importing or Exporting a Schedule I or II Substance

Indictable offence

No summary conviction

Life imprisonment

 

Importing or Exporting a Schedule III or IV Substance

Indictable offence

Summary conviction

10 years' imprisonment

18 months' imprisonment

 

Importing or Exporting a Schedule IV Substance

Indictable offence

Summary conviction

3 years' imprisonment

One year's imprisonment

 

(4) Producing a Schedule I, II, III or IV substance. The expression “produce” is defined as meaning to obtain a substance by any method or process including manufacturing, synthesizing or using any means of altering the chemical or physical properties of the substance, or cultivating, propagating or harvesting the substance or any living thing from which the substance may be extracted or otherwise obtained. The following table shows the maximum penalties for this offence:

 

Producing a Schedule I or II Substance

(other than cannabis/marijuana)

Indictable offence

No summary conviction

 

Life imprisonment

 

Producing cannabis (marijuana)

(less than 1 g of cannabis resin (hashish) or less than 30 g of marijuana)

Indictable offence

No summary conviction

 

7 years' imprisonment

 

Producing a Schedule III Substance

Indictable offence

Summary conviction

10 years' imprisonment

18 months' imprisonment

 

Producing a Schedule IV Substance

Indictable offence

Summary conviction

 

3 years' imprisonment

One year's imprisonment

 

(5) Possession of property obtained by crime (section 8) and offences relating to the laundering of proceeds of crime (section 9).

 

The penalties are obviously closely related to the schedule in which the substance in question appears. Furthermore, the penalties determined for cannabis offences also vary considerably depending on the quantity involved, a subject discussed in greater detail below.

Section 10 of the Act states the purpose of sentencing, which is to contribute to the respect for the law and the maintenance of a just, peaceful and safe society while encouraging rehabilitation, and treatment in appropriate circumstances, of offenders and acknowledging the harm done to victims and to the community. This section also provides a list of circumstances which the court is required to consider as “aggravating” factors in determining the sentence that shall be imposed on a person convicted of a designated substance offence. Those factors are: the use of a weapon or use of or threat to use violence, trafficking in a substance on or near school grounds or in or near any public place frequented by minors or by persons under the age of 18 years, and previous convictions of a designated substance offence. In addition, the use of the services of a minor in the commission of a designated substance offence is an aggravating factor. Any judge deciding not to sentence a person to imprisonment despite the presence of one or more aggravating factors is required to give reasons for that decision.

 

 

 



[1][121] The tables of penalties in this section are reproduced from Bill C‑8: An Act to regulate certain drugs and other substances, Legislative Summary 240, prepared by Allain, J., (1996; revised May 1997) Ottawa: Law and Government Division, Parliamentary Research Branch, Library of Parliament.

Library Highlights

Drug Information Articles

Drug Rehab