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After submitting your licence application: Cultivation, processing and sale for medical purposes licence

On this page

  1. 1.0 Pay your fees
  2. 2.0 Changes to your application
  3. 3.0 Withdrawal of your application
  4. 4.0 Health Canada processes your information
    1. 4.1 Security clearance process
    2. 4.2 Screening process
    3. 4.3 Review process
  5. 5.0 Respond to requests for more information
    1. 5.1 Health Canada makes a final decision
  6. 6.0 Refusals
  7. 7.0 After getting your cannabis licence
    1. 7.1 Getting started on your daily activities
    2. 7.2 What you can sell
  8. 8.0 Updates for cannabis and industrial hemp

This page provides the information you need to know after you've submitted your licence application.

In the Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System (CTLS), you'll see your licence application in the "Submitted Licence Applications" section. You can check the status of your application in the CTLS at any time during the application process.

Health Canada is only able to accept minor changes to the application at this stage.

1.0 Pay your fees

Health Canada will invoice you for the licence application-screening fee and the security clearance application fees, as applicable. The CTLS status for your licence application will change to "Payment" during this time. You'll need to pay your fees in full and on time.

Important: Health Canada can only begin the security clearance and licence application-screening processes after you've paid your fees.

After you've paid your fees, your licence application status will change to "In progress". At this point, Health Canada begins the security clearance and licence application-screening processes.

Payment doesn't guarantee that a licence will be issued, or that the security clearances will be granted. All fees are non-refundable.

2.0 Changes to an application

It's important that your licence application is accurate and reflective of your intended activities with cannabis when you submit it. After submitting, you can only make minor changes without having to withdraw and resubmit your application. Any changes can delay the processing time.

If you have questions about minor or major changes, contact Health Canada by email at licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca. Include your Licence application ID found in the CTLS. Use the subject line "Questions about APP #".

2.1 Minor changes to an application

Administrative changes

After submitting your licence application, you can still change some administrative information, such as:

Adding new identified people

If you want to add or change identified people to your licence application, follow these steps:

  1. The identified person needs to create an account in the CTLS and may need to apply for a security clearance, if they don't have one already
  2. The responsible person needs to email licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca as soon as possible to have the security clearance applications processed. Use the subject line "Change to APP #". Include the following for each person:
    • full name
    • CTLS account ID
    • security clearance application ID (only applicable for identified people requiring a security clearance)
    • position title
  3. Health Canada will let the responsible person know if that change is allowed

Important: If you don't email Health Canada, it may delay the processing of your application. A licence can't be issued until the identified people linked to your application have their security clearance processed.

2.1.1 Corporate profiles

For corporations, cooperatives or partnerships, you can make changes to your corporate profile at any time. These are generally minor changes.

Changing the name of a corporation, cooperation or partnership

The CTLS will update any linked application. The responsible person needs to:

Adding new people with direct control to your corporate profile
  1. The new people with direct control added to your corporate profile will need to create an account in the CTLS and will need to apply for a security clearance, if they don't have one already
  2. You'll add them to the organizational chart in your organizational security plan
  3. The responsible person needs to email licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca as soon as possible to have the security clearance applications processed. Use the subject line "New corporate profile personnel for APP #". Include the following for each person:
    • full name
    • CTLS account ID
    • security clearance application ID
    • position title
    • the updated portion of your organizational security plan

Important: If you don't notify us, it may result in delays in processing your application.

Note: If you need to make changes to the corporate profile after the issuance of your licence, you may need to notify Health Canada of some changes and get approvals for others. For more information, refer to Manage your cannabis licence.

2.2 Major changes to an application

If you want to make major changes, you may need to withdraw and resubmit your licence application. Some major changes include:

3.0 Withdrawal of an application

You can withdraw your licence application at any time during the licensing process.

Important: If you create a new licence application later, you will have to pay another application-screening fee.

Transfer method

If you want to withdraw your application to resubmit a new one, follow these steps:

  1. Create the new licence application
  2. Transfer all your information to the new application. Health Canada doesn't return information or data submitted
  3. Responsible person links the identified people from the original application to the new application
  4. If your original application is in active review, contact licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca immediately. Use the subject line "Withdrawal of APP #" of the new or existing licence application

In this case:

Withdraw method

To withdraw, click on the delete button on the Licence application page in the CTLS. If you withdraw your licence application before starting a new licence application:

4.0 Health Canada processes your information

Health Canada will process your information in the steps described below. We can refuse to consider your application or refuse your application at any stage of the review process.

4.1 Security clearance process

Health Canada will work with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to process the security clearance applications. This step is done in parallel with the licence application-screening and review processes.

4.2 Screening process

As a first step, Health Canada will screen the information in the CTLS and the site evidence package. The steps are:

  1. Health Canada will make sure we've received your site evidence package, if applicable. Once this is verified, we'll send you an email to confirm
  2. Health Canada will screen your information for completeness, legibility and ability to be processed. If we need more information, we'll send you a notice of intent to refuse containing what's missing or deficient. We'll indicate what to submit to continue the application-screening process
    1. If you don't submit a sufficient answer, or the minimum screening requirements aren't met, Health Canada may not consider your application
    2. If you submit a sufficient response, your application will pass screening. We'll send you an email and move your application to the review stage

Health Canada has a service standard of 30-business days or 6 weeks for completing the screening stage. The screening process can only begin after we receive the site evidence package, if needed. Sale for medical purposes without possession of cannabis licences don't need to submit a site evidence package. The service standard doesn't include the time spent waiting for you to respond to our information requests.

4.3 Review process

Health Canada will review in detail the information you've submitted in the CTLS and the site evidence package, if applicable. The steps are described below:

  1. Health Canada assigns your licence application to an officer for review. The assigned officer will notify you by email
  2. The officer will review your information. If we need more information, we'll email you an outline of the missing or deficient information you need to submit

Health Canada has a service standard of 80-business days or 16 weeks from the date the application is in active review (after screening) until the date a decision is made. It doesn't include the time spent waiting for you to respond to our information requests.

5.0 Respond to requests for more information

It's your responsibility to meet all the licensing application requirements. If what you've submitted in your application is unclear, or doesn't show how it meets the requirements, Health Canada may ask you to submit more information.

The CTLS status for your licence application will change to "Pending information" during this time.

Health Canada will send official communications and requests for more information to the responsible person at the email address entered in the CTLS. You generally need to respond within 10 business days.

When you respond to the requests for more information:

Give specific answers to the information requested, and include as many details as possible. Incomplete answers may lead to a delay in processing or a refusal to consider an application.

5.1 Health Canada makes a final decision

Once Health Canada has reviewed all of your submitted information and all the linked security clearance applications, we'll make a final decision. If Health Canada decides to issue a licence, the responsible person will get an email with the electronic versions of:

When Health Canada has made a licensing decision, we'll send an email to all identified people about the status of their security clearance, if applicable.

6.0 Refusals

Health Canada may refuse to consider an application if you don't send the necessary information to the requests for more information. We may also refuse your application for the reasons in subsection 62(7) of the Cannabis Act and section 29 of the Cannabis Regulations. In these cases, Health Canada will send a notice of intent to refuse. The notice will explain the reasons for refusal, and give you a timeframe to respond, after which Health Canada will decide.

If Health Canada has decided to refuse your application, we'll send you a notice of refusal and close your application. It will give the specific reasons or deficiencies that led to the decision.

If Health Canada refuses your licence application because your identified people's security clearances were refused, the identified people will receive the reasons for the refusal of security clearances.

If you wish to submit a new application, we'll process it. However, you'll have to re-submit all the required information. What you've submitted before won't be transferred to your new licence application. Health Canada doesn't return information and data submitted. You'll also have to pay fees again (application-screening fee, and the security clearance application fee, if applicable).

7.0 After getting your cannabis licence

7.1 Getting started on your daily activities

To help you get started on your daily activities as a new licence holder, refer to Information for new cannabis licence holders: Cultivation, processing or sale for medical purposes licences. This web page provides references to other relevant guidance documents and web pages to help your understanding of:

7.2 What you can sell

Immediately after the issuance of your licence, you'll be restricted to sell certain types of cannabis that are packaged and labelled. You can sell your authorized types of cannabis to other provinces and territories across Canada, as well as exporting them outside of Canada. However, you can only export cannabis for medical or scientific purposes and you'll need to apply for an export permit.

For micro-processing and standard processing licence holders

You'll be limited to the sale of the following types of cannabis that are packaged and labelled:

You'll need to apply for a change to your licence to add sales activities if you want to sell the following types of cannabis that are packaged and labelled:

Note: Types of cannabis and industrial hemp licence provides the activities you can do under your licence, and the types of cannabis you can sell.

8.0 Updates for cannabis and industrial hemp

Updates for cannabis and industrial hemp allows you to view the most recent updates for the cannabis and industrial hemp industry.

Cannabis and hemp applicants should subscribe to receive notifications of new posts.

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