Quebec Key Facts

Federal Licences — Health Canada

• Cultivation Licence (Standard, Micro, Nursery) — nationwide; any producer in any province may hold a federal cultivation licence
  • Standard: commercial scale; no canopy limit; strict Good Production Practices
  • Micro: max 200 m² canopy; simplified requirements; lower application fees
• Processing Licence (Standard, Micro) — extraction, manufacturing, packaging of cannabis products
• Analytical Testing Licence — third-party lab testing
• Sale for Medical Purposes Licence — direct sales to registered medical patients

Quebec Provincial Licences

• SQDC (Société québécoise du cannabis) — provincial government Crown corporation is the sole legal retailer in Quebec
  • No private cannabis retail licences issued in Quebec
  • SQDC operates physical stores + online (sqdc.ca) with province-wide delivery
  • SQDC sources products from federally licensed producers; submits to provincial QC standards
• No private retail licence — Quebec is one of the most restrictive retail models in Canada
• Cannabis delivery — SQDC delivers province-wide through its online store; age verification and ID required at delivery
• Hemp/CBD producers — federally licensed under Health Canada; provincial processing facilities may obtain federal licences

Tax Implications

• Quebec consumers pay GST (5%) + QST (9.975%) = approximately 14.975% sales tax on cannabis purchases
• The federal excise duty is embedded in the wholesale price SQDC pays — additional layer not visible to consumer
• SQDC pricing tends to be competitive — government procurement keeps prices lower than some private provinces
• Medical cannabis from a federally licensed producer: 5% GST + 9.975% QST applies
• Quebec receives its 25% share of federal excise duty as additional revenue

Federal Advertising Prohibitions — Cannabis Act s.17–s.24

• Strict nationwide advertising restrictions — the Cannabis Act is among the toughest advertising regimes in the world:
  • No cannabis advertising that is appealing to young persons (defined as under the minimum age)
  • No testimonials or endorsements — celebrity, influencer, or otherwise
  • No depictions of a person, character, or animal (no brand mascots)
  • No association with glamour, recreation, excitement, vitality, risk, or daring
  • No claims of health or cosmetic benefits unless authorised by Health Canada
• Permitted advertising (very limited):
  • Factual information (brand name, price, strength, availability) in age-restricted venues only
  • Information-only ads in publications mailed to verified adults
  • Brand preference advertising to adults only — no lifestyle content
  • Informational material provided directly to adults at point of sale
• Required on all cannabis packaging and advertising:
  • Health warning messages as prescribed by Health Canada
  • Cannabis Act health warning symbol (red octagon warning)
  • THC/CBD content per serving and per unit
  • Producer or retailer name and contact information
• Social media: Age-gating required; no general public promotion; no influencer campaigns; platforms must restrict access to verified legal-age users
• Penalties: Federal prosecution; fines up to $5 million and/or up to 3 years imprisonment for advertising violations

Quebec-Specific Advertising Rules

• Quebec's Act Respecting Cannabis includes additional advertising restrictions beyond federal rules
• No advertising in any form by the SQDC beyond basic informational signage
• All SQDC materials must comply with Charter of the French Language — French must predominate
• No advertising on social media targeting Quebec audiences; SQDC uses minimal digital presence

Federal Workplace Framework

• No federal employment protections specifically for cannabis users — however, human rights frameworks apply:
  • If cannabis use is for medical purposes and employee has a disability, duty to accommodate may arise under federal/provincial human rights legislation
  • Employer must demonstrate undue hardship before refusing to accommodate a medical cannabis user
• Federally regulated industries (aviation, banking, rail, marine, interprovincial trucking) follow Transport Canada and federal safety rules:
  • Transport Canada: zero tolerance for impairment in safety-critical roles
  • Canadian Aviation Regulations: no cannabis within 8 hours of flight duty (some carriers 28 hours)
  • Railway Safety Act: strict zero-tolerance for train operators
• Cannabis is still prohibited in federally regulated workplaces and on federal government property under the Federal Cannabis Policy for the Public Service
• Impairment at work is always prohibited — regardless of medical or adult-use status; employer may discipline
• Drug testing: Not universally permitted in Canada — employer must demonstrate safety-sensitive role or reasonable cause; random testing restricted by human rights law in most non-safety contexts

Quebec Workplace Context

• Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms: Medical cannabis use for disability may trigger duty to accommodate
• Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety (LSST): Workers must not be impaired; employer must ensure safe workplace
• Quebec courts have addressed cannabis accommodation — employer must assess actual impairment, not just positive test
• Quebec has a significant manufacturing and construction sector — formal drug policies common in safety-sensitive roles

Personal Possession

• Adults may possess up to 30 g of dried cannabis (or equivalent) in a public place — federal Cannabis Act limit
• Quebec restricts home cultivation — the provincial Act Respecting Cannabis (Bill 157) banned home cultivation; challenged in court
• Home cultivation status: As of 2026, Quebec's ban on home cultivation of up to 4 plants remains in force provincially, even though the federal Cannabis Act permits it — legal tension ongoing
• Possession of more than 30 g in public remains a federal offence

Transaction Rules

• Minimum age: 21 years — government-issued photo ID required at point of purchase
• Accepted ID: provincial driver's licence, Canadian passport, citizenship card, provincial ID card
• SQDC stores and sqdc.ca online — government monopoly only; no private retailers
• Age verification at SQDC: physical and online; government-issued ID required
• Cannabis retail hours: SQDC hours vary by location — typically 10 AM–9 PM; closed statutory holidays

Federal Testing Standards — Health Canada

• All cannabis products must comply with Health Canada's Cannabis Regulations (SOR/2018-144) — Part 5 (Good Production Practices):
  • Potency testing: THC, THCA, CBD, CBDA — all products before sale
  • Total THC and CBD per serving and per package must appear on label
  • Tolerance: ±10% of stated cannabinoid content
• Contaminant testing required for all products:
  • Pesticide residue: per Health Canada's List of Authorized Pesticides for Cannabis
  • Heavy metals: lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury — below maximum residue limits
  • Microbial contaminants: E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus — per Health Canada limits
  • Mycotoxins: aflatoxins, ochratoxin A
  • Residual solvents: for all extract products — below Health Canada limits
  • Moisture content: tested for flower and dried cannabis products
• Approved laboratories: Must hold ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation; testing conducted in compliance with GPP requirements; labs may be in-house at federally licensed producers or third-party ISO 17025 facilities
  • Health Canada conducts regular inspections of licensed producers
  • Non-compliant batches must be recalled or destroyed per Health Canada recall procedures
• Certificate of Analysis (COA): Required for every lot/batch; must be available to provincial wholesalers and retailers
• Track and trace: Health Canada's national cannabis tracking system (CTLS) monitors all product movement from licensed producer to provincial wholesaler

Federal Medical Cannabis Framework

• Healthcare Practitioner (HCP) Document — A doctor, nurse practitioner, or other authorised HCP provides a medical document (not a prescription) specifying the patient's daily cannabis amount in grams
  • No specific qualifying conditions listed in the Cannabis Regulations — HCP determines suitability
  • Patient and HCP must sign a registration form; patient registers directly with a federally licensed seller
• Possession allowance: Patients may possess up to 150 g of dried cannabis (or equivalent) OR a 30-day supply based on their daily authorised amount — whichever is less
  • Daily authorised amount set by HCP — no upper limit in regulations (HCP's discretion)
  • Equivalencies: 1 g dried = 5 g fresh = 15 g edibles = 70 g liquid = 0.25 g concentrate = 1 cannabis plant seed
• Personal production for medical purposes: Registered patients may grow their own cannabis at home based on their daily authorised amount
  • Formula: daily amount (g) × 365 ÷ 4 = maximum number of plants
  • Or register a designated producer to grow on their behalf
• Designated person production: Another adult may grow on behalf of a patient; max 2 patients per designated producer
• No qualifying condition list — Canadian medical access is entirely based on HCP discretion and patient need
• Federally licensed sellers (e.g., Aphria, Aurora, Canopy Growth) sell directly to medical patients by mail with valid HCP document
• Cost: Not covered by most provincial health plans; some private insurance plans include coverage; federal GST/HST applies

Quebec Medical Context

• Medical cannabis is a federal programme — Quebec does not administer a separate provincial medical registry
• Quebec's provincial health insurance plan does not cover medical cannabis costs
• Veterans' Affairs Canada covers up to 3 g/day for eligible veterans across all provinces

Differences from Medical Use

• Age: 21+ for adult-use (Quebec's minimum is higher than federal standard); medical has no provincial minimum
• Purchase limit: SQDC limits purchases by product; federal 30 g rule also applies
• Tax: Adult-use ~15% GST+QST; medical 14.975% combined (GST+QST also applied)
• Home cultivation: Prohibited in Quebec for adult-use (unique in Canada)

Consumption Rules

• Permitted: private residences (smoking permitted unless condo/strata bylaws prohibit)
• Prohibited: near schools, daycares, youth facilities (within 150 m); in vehicles; on school grounds; in casinos
• Public consumption: generally prohibited in enclosed public spaces; allowed in designated outdoor areas
• Montreal bylaw: Cannabis consumption prohibited at outdoor festivals and public gatherings

Local Ordinances

• Quebec municipalities may restrict where cannabis stores may be located but cannot override SQDC monopoly
• Montreal, Quebec City, and other municipalities have additional consumption zone bylaws
• Some Quebec municipalities passed resolutions against cannabis retail — SQDC still opened stores but with sensitivity to local concerns