Cannabis Regulation

Licenses are required to grow and process cannabis for commercial use. There are rules that growers must follow to secure their facilities. This includes installing alarm systems and fencing off growing areas. Employees holding certain positions must have security clearance.

All cannabis must be tracked so there is a record of the amount produced, inventory and sales volume. Cannabis products cannot contain nicotine, caffeine or alcohol.

Cannabis may be sold to the public through private retailers. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) oversees these retailers and puts rules on sales. They also determine how many retail licences to issue across the province and the requirements to become a licensed retailer.

Municipalities can pass bylaws setting out if and where licensed cannabis retail stores can be located. They can also require stores to purchase a business licence.

Licensed retailers can only sell cannabis obtained from a licensed producer. Retailers can only sell to people 19 or older and stores are required to demand proof of age. There is mandatory training for anyone working in a retail cannabis store.

Cannabis and cannabis accessories cannot be sold in vending machines or similar devices. People may, however, purchase from licensed retailers online.

There are strict rules about how cannabis can be promoted and packaged. Promotion must be informational or relate to brand preferences. Promotion material and cannabis packaging cannot:

• appeal to youth
• include false, misleading, or deceptive information
• use sponsorship, testimonials, or endorsements
• depict persons, celebrities, characters, or animals
• associate cannabis with a way of life such as one that includes glamour, recreation, excitement, vitality, risk or daring

In Saskatchewan, people 19 or over can:

• purchase dried cannabis, edibles, extracts or topicals from a licensed retailer
• possess up to 30 grams of dried cannabis or the equivalent of 30 grams of dried cannabis in the non-dried form (edibles, extracts or topicals) in a public place
• distribute up to 30 grams of dried cannabis, or the equivalent of 30 grams of dried cannabis in non-dried form (edibles, extracts or topicals), purchased from a licensed retailer or legally grown, to another person who is also 19 or older
• cultivate up to four cannabis plants per household from a licensed producer of seeds or seedlings
• make cannabis products from cannabis purchased from a licensed retailer for their own use, such as food or drink, in their own home provided that organic solvents are not used

Cannabis cannot be used by anyone in:

• vehicles
• public places
• schools, including the school grounds, and child care facilities
• rental units if the landlord has rules against the use of cannabis in rental units

Landlords can also prohibit possessing, growing or selling cannabis in a rental unit. Condominium boards are also allowed to regulate this in condos.

It is a provincial offence for people under the age of 19 to use, possess or distribute any cannabis. Criminal charges can be laid if someone under 18 possesses or distributes more than 5 grams of cannabis.

There are significant fines for minors who commit a cannabis-related offence or for adults who are involved.

It is a criminal offence to drive if you have a higher concentration of THC in your bloodstream than allowed under the Criminal Code. You can find more information on this here.

In addition, there are consequences under provincial law for driving if a test of your bodily fluids shows that you have any THC in your system. The police can demand that you take a bodily fluid test if they reasonably suspect you have any drugs in your system.

The consequences under provincial law include:

• an immediate roadside suspension of your license for 3 days on a first offence and up to 90 days after repeated offences
• the impoundment of your vehicle for 3 days for a first offence and up to 14 days for repeated offences
• if someone in the vehicle is under 16, an immediate roadside suspension of your license for 7 days on a first offence and up to 120 days for repeated offences
• if someone in the vehicle is under 16, the impoundment of your vehicle for 7 days and up to 60 days for repeated offences
• attending a mandatory education or recovery program

It is illegal to take cannabis across a Canadian border regardless of whether cannabis use is legal in the country you are visiting.

Provinces can have different rules about things like the age limit for buying or possessing cannabis. If you are thinking about travelling with cannabis or using cannabis in another province, find out what the laws are in that province first.