Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch: Compliance Directorate

On this page

• About
• Directorate and functions
• Contact us

About

The Compliance Directorate, a directorate of the Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, promotes, monitors, and verifies regulated parties' compliance with the Cannabis Act and its regulations.

The directorate also supports cannabis inspection activities conducted by the Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch of Health Canada.

Directorate and functions

The directorate's organizational structure includes the following units.

Director General's Office

The Director General's Office provides:

• leadership
• strategic direction
• operational guidance

The office works with their directors to:

• coordinate the directorate's workload
• liaise with the Assistant Deputy Minister's Office
• work with partners in the cannabis program, such as the Strategic Policy Directorate and the Licensing and Medical Access Directorate

Compliance Issues and Response Division

The Compliance Issues and Response Division:

• responds to questions and complaints from:
  • companies
  • consumers
  • federal, provincial and territorial, and international partners
• takes action in cases of non-compliance, such as:
  • publishing voluntary recalls
  • helping licence holders return to compliance
  • referring cases to law enforcement, when necessary
  • leading the development and implementation of internal compliance and enforcement measures
• assesses whether regulated parties such as licence holders are compliant with the Cannabis Act and its regulations

Compliance Promotion and Policy Division

The Compliance Promotion and Policy Division:

• establishes actions to address serious non-compliances
  • for example: administrative monetary penalties, orders from the Minister
• communicates with licence holders about cannabis promotions
• oversees staff training, data reporting and quality management
• works with law enforcement to monitor and control illegal cannabis sales
• addresses non-compliance regarding promotions legislation for cannabis
• creates activities to educate licence holders on their regulatory responsibilities
  • for example: online courses, letters, webpages

Contact us

Email: compliance-cannabis-conformite@hc-sc.gc.ca

For cannabis industry: Cannabis and industrial hemp contact information for licence holders, applicants and industry