Consultation: Potential amendments to the Industrial Hemp Regulations
Current status: Open
Opened on May 16, 2026, and will close to new input on June 30, 2026.
We invite you to comment on potential amendments to the Industrial Hemp Regulations. They aim to reduce regulatory requirements and administrative burden, while continuing to meet our public health and public safety objectives. These changes would support our commitment to reducing regulatory red tape, while maintaining key control measures for industrial hemp.
Join in: How to participate
We would like to receive your comments on the Notice of Intent published in the Canada Gazette, Part I on May 16, 2026. Send your comments in an email to cannabis.consultation@hc-sc.gc.ca. Use the subject line: "Consultation on potential amendments to the Industrial Hemp Regulations".
Who is the focus of this consultation
We are seeking comments from various groups, including:
- current and potential industrial hemp licence holders
- industrial hemp industry associations
- cannabis licence holders
- cannabis industry associations
- Indigenous groups
- professional associations
- federal partners (departments and agencies)
- provinces and territories
Key issues for consultation
The Notice of Intent targets the following areas for feedback with respect to the industrial hemp framework:
- defining industrial hemp
- licensing
- cultivating
- importing and exporting
- testing for THC concentration
- selling flowering heads, leaves, and branches
- record keeping and reporting
- distinguishing industrial hemp from cannabis
- streamlining the framework, including the management of the List of Approved Cultivars
- impacts to public health or public safety from reducing regulatory burden
Any future regulatory proposals based on the comments received from this Notice of Intent would be pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I for further consultation before any regulatory amendments are made final.
Related information
- Cannabis Act
- Cannabis Regulations
- Industrial Hemp Regulations
- Industrial hemp licensing application guide
Contact us
Regulatory Affairs
Strategic Policy, Cannabis
Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch
Health Canada
Email: cannabis.consultation@hc-sc.gc.ca