Update your cannabis licence: Cultivation, processing, or sale for medical purposes
On this page
- Responsible person
- Site personnel
- Directors and officers
- Associated individuals
- Site plan change requiring notification
- Organizational security plan
- Mailing address, phone number, email address or fax number
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Ceasing activities
Important: You need to assess whether any of the updates to your licence will change the organizational security plan (OSP). If you change the OSP, you need to refer to the Cannabis organizational security plan web page for more information.
Responsible person
This section will help you to:
- change the responsible person
- add, change or remove the alternate responsible person
Important: The responsible person and alternate need to have a security clearance to be in the role. If you intend to add a person into one of these positions that does not have a security clearance, they will need to apply for a security clearance in the Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System (CTLS) and you will need to email licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca. The subject line of the email should be "Responsible Person Change for LIC #". Include the following information:
- the person's full name
- their CTLS account ID
- their SEC number
- their future position
Health Canada will link that person to your licence. Once the person receives their clearance, the responsible person can add them into the position through the CTLS.
Required information
You need to submit this as a "Responsible Person" change in the CTLS, within 5 days of making the change. Once the changes are made, the information related to the licence will automatically be updated. No approval is required.
Tip: In some cases, the responsible person also controls the "Corporate Profile" in the CTLS as the administrative authority. When a new responsible person is designated, you should consider changing the administrative authority. If you are unable to make this change in the system, contact Health Canada at licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca. The subject line of the email should be "Administrative Authority Change for LIC #".
The "Active" responsible person status in the CTLS is automatically given to the responsible person. This allows them to manage the licence. You can switch this status to the alternate responsible person, such as when the responsible person is away. Only the "Active" responsible person can make this change.
You also need to update your organizational security plan (OSP), and tell Health Canada of the changes. Refer to the Cannabis organization security plan web page for more information.
Site personnel
This section will help you to:
- change the head of security
- add, change or remove the alternate head of security
- change the master grower
- add, change or remove the alternate master grower
Important: The people in these positions need to have a security clearance to be in these roles. If you intend to add a person into one of these positions that does not have a security clearance, they will need to apply for a security clearance in the CTLS and you will need to email licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca. The subject line of the email should be "Site Personnel Change for LIC #". Include the following information:
- person's full name
- their CTLS account ID
- their SEC number
- their future position
Health Canada will link that person to your licence. Once the person receives their clearance, the responsible person can add them into the position through the CTLS.
Required information
You need to submit this as a "Site Personnel" change in the CTLS, within 5 days of the change. Once the changes are made, the information related to the licence will automatically be updated. No approval is required.
You also need to update your organizational security plan (OSP), and tell Health Canada of the changes. Refer to the Cannabis organization security plan web page for more information.
Directors and officers
This section will help you to add, change or remove directors and officers.
Important: Directors and officer need to have a security clearance. If you intend to add a person into one of these positions that does not have a security clearance, they will need to apply for a security clearance in the CTLS and be granted a security clearance before starting the role. To have their security clearance application processed you will need to email licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca. The subject line of the email should be "Corporate Personnel Change for LIC #". Include the following information:
- person's full name
- their CTLS account ID
- their SEC number
- their position
In the exceptional case that the person needs to be in the role before having their security clearance, you also need to describe in your email why this occurred and what measures are being taken to restrict their influence over the company until they get their security clearance. This includes limiting their control and decision making, such as financial decisions and day-to-day activities at the site. Health Canada will consider this information to determine if the measures are sufficient to allow them to act in the role before being security cleared.
Required information
You need to notify Health Canada within 5 days of making the change by emailing licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca. The subject line of the email should be "Corporate Personnel Change for LIC #". Include the following information:
- person's full name
- their CTLS account ID
- their HSC or SEC number
- their position
You also need to update your organizational security plan (OSP), and tell Health Canada of the changes. Refer to the Cannabis organization security plan web page for more information.
Associated individuals
This section will help you to add or remove:
- additional individuals requiring a security clearance, reporters and responsible for finance
- individuals with consent to communicate
Adding or removing an additional individual requiring a security clearance, reporter or responsible for finance
Important: These individuals require a security clearance. If you intend to add a person into one of these positions that does not have a security clearance, they will need to apply for a security clearance in the CTLS and you will need to email licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca. The subject line of the email should be "Addition of security cleared individuals for LIC #". Include the following information:
- person's full name
- their CTLS account ID
- their SEC number
- rationale for the request. Your rationale must include the reasoning why this individual requires a security clearance (e.g., the method by which they will exercise or be in a position to exercise direct control over the licence holder, the individual will be required to submit monthly reports in the CTLS).
Health Canada will link that person to your licence. Once the person receives their clearance, the responsible person can add them into the position through the CTLS.
Required information
You need to submit them as an "Associated Individuals" change in the CTLS within 5 days of the change. Once the changes are made, the information related to the licence will automatically be updated. No approval is required.
- Additional individuals requiring a security clearance are individuals who are in a position to exercise direct control over the activities taking place at the licensed site (for example, a key investor with direct control).
- Reporters are individuals who are allowed to submit monthly reports for the licence holder in the CTLS.
- Responsible for finance are individuals who are allowed to submit the statements of cannabis revenue for the licence holder in the CTLS
You also need to update your organizational security plan (OSP), and tell Health Canada of the changes. Refer to the Cannabis organization security plan web page for more information.
Adding or removing an individual with consent to communicate
Required information
You need to submit them as an "Associated Individuals" change in the CTLS. No approval is required. Individuals with consent to communicate are individuals you allow to communicate with Health Canada about your licence.
Site plan change requiring notification
This section will help you to submit a site plan change that requires notification to Health Canada. This includes:
- change an approved building's envelope (not affecting the site perimeter or physical barrier surrounding the site)
- For example, expanding vertically or horizontally.
- change an approved outdoor grow area's size
- For example, changing the latitude and longitude coordinates for any of the four corners.
Important: Health Canada needs to approve some other types of site plan changes. If your changes do not require approval or notification, you do not need to submit them. As an example, adding an operations area including a grow area within an approved building that is already authorized for the possession of cannabis on your licence or downgrading a storage area to an operations area in an approved building do not require approval or notification. All changes are still required to meet applicable physical security requirements (Part 4 of the Cannabis Regulations). Health Canada can check on compliance at any time.
Required information
You need to submit this as a "Change to Site Plan Notification" in the CTLS, within 5 days of making the change. The documents described below need to be uploaded with the application under the following:
Description of change section
- Brief description and explanation for the change, such as:
- adding a floor to an existing building to increase production of edible cannabis
- expanding the existing outdoor grow area (include the latitude and longitude for all four corners) to expand cultivation area
Only for a micro-cultivation, micro-processing or a nursery licence:
- Completed "Attestation for a change to the site plan requiring notification" form.
Site plan section
- Site plan with:
- approved site perimeter or physical barrier surrounding the site (for example, highlight the fence or building envelope)
- footprint of all buildings
- footprint of approved outdoor grow areas, if applicable
- in the case of expanding your building or adding a floor, show the area that was added (for example, in a different colour)
Organizational security plan
You need to update your OSP when a change impacting it is made (for example, updates to people in the organizational chart and people requiring a security clearance), and tell Health Canada of the changes. Refer to the Cannabis organizational security plan web page for more information.
Mailing address, phone number, email address or fax number
This section will help you to submit an administrative change. This includes:
- mailing address
- phone number
- email address
- fax number
Required information
To update the mailing address, you need to submit the change as an "Administrative Notification" in the CTLS, within 5 days of making the change. Once the change is made, the information related to the licence will automatically be updated. No approval is required.
To update the phone number, email address or fax number, the administrative authority needs to make the changes in the "Corporate Profile" in the CTLS. Individual licence holders need to make the changes in their individual account profile in the CTLS.
Important: Licences are site specific and cannot be moved. A site location change requires a new licence application to be submitted.
Mergers and acquisitions
In most cases, licences are not transferable even for mergers and acquisitions. Licences are issued to an individual or corporation at a specific site based on their physical security measures, security clearances for key personnel and good production practices. Any proposed transfer of ownership is subject to many factors and Health Canada needs to assess the situation on a case-by-case basis.
You need to tell Health Canada if there is a possibility that your organization will be purchased by, or merged with, another organization by emailing licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca. The subject line and the file name should be either:
- "Merger for LIC #"
- "Acquisition for LIC #"
Include details of the merger or acquisition and contact information for follow up. Health Canada will provide further instructions based on the context.
Ceasing activities
You need to tell Health Canada if you plan to cease all authorized activities on your licence (including possession of cannabis at the site). You need to send a notice at least 30 calendar days before stopping activities.
Important: You must continue to meet all regulatory requirements even after activities with cannabis have ceased and there is no longer any cannabis at the site. This includes:
- physical security of the site
- maintaining security cleared personnel in key positions
- submitting monthly inventory reports
- paying applicable fees to Health Canada
Should you no longer wish to meet these obligations, you can request that your licence(s) be revoked. This request should be sent by email to licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca. The subject line should be "Licence Revocation for LIC #".
Required information
You need to send the completed "Notice of cessation of cannabis activities form" by emailing licensing-cannabis-licences@hc-sc.gc.ca. The subject line and the file name should be "Notice of Ceasing Activities for LIC #".
If there are further changes after activities have ceased, you need to submit an updated Notice of cessation of cannabis activities form to Health Canada. These could include:
- change to the address where records, reports and documents are stored
- change to the contact person
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