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Prepare your information for a cannabis drug licence application

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This page describes what you need to prepare before you can submit your licence application in the Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System (CTLS).

For corporations, cooperatives or partnerships

You’ll have to create a corporate profile in the CTLS, if you don’t already have one, if you’re applying for the licence as:

This section provides the information you need to prepare when you’re creating a new corporate profile.

Parent (owning) corporation

Any controlling organization is required to create a corporate profile, and directors and officers of that corporation need to have a CTLS Account. You need to gather the CTLS Account IDs of any controlling organization, if applicable.

Certificate of incorporation or business registration document

You need to prepare the following document depending on your organization:

Corporate organizational chart

You need to prepare a corporate organizational chart. It should include:

The chart needs to include each person’s:

Directors, officers, partners

Your directors, officers and partners need to each create a CTLS account. You need to gather their CTLS Account IDs to add later to your corporate profile.

Important: You must have at least 1 director or officer identified in the corporate profile in the CTLS. Otherwise, you won’t be able to submit your licence application.

Site details

Site plan

Important: Your site plan needs to include all areas and rooms, even if there are no activities with cannabis occurring inside. For example, lavatories and transitory areas such as hallways.

You need to include the following information in your site plan. You need to have at least 1 building on your site when you submit your licence application. If you can’t put all the information onto 1 site plan, you can also add floor plans to your document.

Physical security

You need to submit the required information in your physical security document to demonstrate that you meet the requirements that apply to your site, based on the activities you are conducting with cannabis.

How to demonstrate that your security measures meet the requirements described in Division 1 of Part 4 of the Cannabis Regulations

You need to prepare the following information. You should combine all the information about your physical security measures into a single document.

Site perimeter and physical barrier
  • A description of the site and how you’ll prevent unauthorized access. Include any access controls at entry or exit points of the site, such as:
    • doors
    • windows
    • fence gates
    • vent openings
  • A description of materials used as physical barriers to prevent unauthorized access to the site perimeter, and all operations and storage areas. This includes:
    • floors
    • walls
    • doors
    • fences
    • ceilings
    • windows
    • vent openings

Important: You can’t have a storage area next to any area that doesn’t comply with section 67 of the Cannabis Regulations.

Visual monitoring devices
  • A description of how the devices work at all times (for example, during a power outage). This can include having:
    • a back-up generator
    • an uninterruptible power supply
  • A description of how the visual recording devices are capable of making a visible recording of:
    •  any attempted or actual unauthorized access
    • any illicit conduct
  • A description of how your visual recording devices monitor to detect illicit conduct in the following areas:
    • operations areas
    • storage areas
    • site perimeter
  •  A description of how you’ll retain your visual monitoring recordings for a year
Intrusion detection system
  • Details on your intrusion devices and systems
    • A description of how the systems work at all times (for example, during operating hours and a power outage). This can include having:
      • a back-up generator
      • an uninterruptible power supply
    • A description of how the systems detect tampering at all times (such as back up telephone line, double relay)
    • A description of how the systems are continuously monitored (365 days a year, 7 days a week and 24 hours a day), either on-site or off-site (for example, use of a ULC-certified monitoring company)
  • For each operations and storage area, a description of how the systems detect:
    • any attempted or actual unauthorized access
    • any unauthorized movement
    • any attempted or actual tampering with the system
  • For the site perimeter, a description of how the systems detect:
    • any attempted or actual unauthorized access to the site
    • any attempted or actual tampering with the system.
Restricted access
  • A description of how the access to operations areas and storage areas is restricted to only people whose presence is required
  • Details on the types of access control or restriction devices. For example:
    • padlock
    • combination lock
    • door lock and key
    • proximity card readers or keypads with electric door strikes or electromagnetic locks
  • Information on employees’ access levels and method (such as issued cards, fobs, PINs, keys) for the operation areas including, storage areas and the areas they’re in.
Record of detected events
  • A description of how you’ll document any detected unauthorized access and retain it for at least 2 years. Include:
    • the following areas
      • site perimeter
      • operations areas
      • storage areas
    • how you’ll capture:
      • date and time
      • measures taken in response
      • date and time of your corrective measures
  • A description of how you’ll document any illicit conduct and retain it for at least 2 years. Include how you’ll capture:
    • date and time
    • measures taken in response
    • date and time of your corrective measures
  • A description of how you’ll document any triggered alarm. Include:
    • date and time
    • measures taken in response
    • date and time of your corrective measures
Access log

For each door leading to and from storage areas, include:

  • a description of how you’ll log access to storage areas for employees, as well as visitors and contractors for at least 2 years
  • the method used to record the identities of every entry or exit of a storage area
  • the information that will be recorded, for example:
    • date and time of entry and exit
    • name of the area being accessed
    • identifier for the access point used such as door or gate
    • name of person accessing the storage areas
Description of your physical security procedures
  • A description of your procedure if your intrusion detection system detects any illicit activity
  • A description of your procedure if there’s any attempted or actual:
    • unauthorized movement
    • unauthorized access to the site
    • tampering with your intrusion detection system
  • A description of your procedure when an alarm is triggered

How to demonstrate that your security measures meet the requirements described under section 76(1)(a) of the Cannabis Regulations

You need to prepare the following information. You should combine all the information about your physical security measures into 1 document.

Storage area design and physical barrier
  • A description of the storage areas and how you’ll prevent unauthorized access. Include any access controls at entry or exit points to the storage areas, such as:
    • doors
    • windows
    • fence gates
    • vent openings
  • A description of materials used as physical barriers to prevent unauthorized access to all storage areas. This includes:
    • floors
    • walls
    • doors
    • fences
    • ceilings
    • windows
    • vent openings
Restricted access
  • A description of how the access to storage areas is restricted to only people whose presence is required
  • Details on the types and specifications of access control or restriction devices. For example:
    • padlock
    • combination lock
    • door lock and key
    • proximity card readers or keypads with electric door strikes or electromagnetic locks
  • Information on employees’ access levels and method (such as issued cards, fobs, PINs, keys) for storage areas

How to demonstrate that your security measures meet the requirements described under section 76(1)(b) of the Cannabis Regulations

You need to prepare the following information. You should combine all the information about your physical security measures into 1 document.

Physical barrier and site design
  • A description of the site and how you’ll prevent unauthorized access. Include any access controls at entry or exit points of the site, such as:
    • doors
    • windows
    • fence gates
    • vent openings
  • A description of materials used as physical barriers to prevent unauthorized access to the site perimeter and all storage areas. This includes:
    • floors
    • walls
    • doors
    • fences
    • ceilings
    • windows
    • vent openings
Restricted access
  • A description of how access to the site and storage areas is restricted to only people whose presence is required
  • Details on the types and specifications of access control or restriction devices. For example:
    • padlock
    • combination lock
    • door lock and key
    • proximity card readers or keypads with electric door strikes or electromagnetic locks
  • Information on employees’ access levels and method (such as issued cards, fobs, PINs, keys) to storage areas

How to demonstrate that your security measures meet the requirements described under section the Directive on Physical Security Requirements for Controlled Substances and Drugs Containing Cannabis

Important: To use only if the intended secured environs have already been approved under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act with a Dealer’s Licence

Refer to the Directive on Physical Security Requirements for Controlled Substances and Drugs Containing Cannabis for more information. Using the directive is most appropriate for those who already store controlled substances and drugs containing cannabis according to the directive.

You need to prepare the following information.

Loss or theft prevention

You need to prepare a document about your loss or theft prevention standard operating procedures (SOP). It should contain:

Identified people

As part of the application, you’ll need to identify the people that will fill the roles of senior person in charge, qualified person in charge and their alternates, if applicable.

Your identified people can’t apply for a cannabis security clearance through your cannabis drug licence application.

Senior person in charge

The senior person in charge needs to create an account in the CTLS, if they don’t have one already. Submit the following information on your senior person in charge:

Tip: A single trip is a single entry with distinct start and end date. If they have travelled often to the same country, record each trip separately. For a trip with multiple purposes, record as one trip and specify the purposes that apply. If they have visited multiple countries in one trip, record it as one trip and list all countries visited.

Important: If you submit a criminal record check, it needs to be:

  • issued no more than 6 months before the submission of the new licence application
  • issued by a Canadian law enforcement agency

If the designated senior person in charge has resided outside of Canada in the last 10 years before the application submission, submit a criminal record check from those countries as well. Based on the travel history of the designated senior person in charge for the past 10 years, Health Canada may ask you to provide a foreign police certificate.

Qualified person in charge and their alternates

The qualified person in charge and their alternates need to create an account in the CTLS, if they don’t have one already. You’ll need to submit the following information for your qualified person in charge and any alternates:

Tip: The qualified person in charge may be the same person as the senior person in charge.

Tip: A single trip is a single entry with distinct start and end date. If they have travelled often to the same country, record each trip separately. For a trip with multiple purposes, record as one trip and specify the purposes that apply. If they have visited multiple countries in one trip, record it as one trip and list all countries visited.

Important: If you submit a criminal record check, it needs to be:

  • issued no more than 6 months before the submission of the new licence application
  • issued by a Canadian law enforcement agency

If the designated qualified person in charge or their alternates have lived outside Canada in the last 10 years before the application submission, submit a criminal record check from those countries as well. Based on the travel history of the designated person in charge or their alternates for the past 10 years, Health Canada may ask you to provide a foreign police certificate.

Consent to communicate

You need to gather the CTLS Account IDs of the people who will be authorized to communicate with Health Canada (consent to communicate).

Record keeping

You need to fill out a Record keeping attestation.

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