Provincial release:

Legislation introduced today, February 25, will amend the Cannabis Control Act to improve public health and safety.

“We are strengthening the Cannabis Control Actthrough expanded enforcement authority, increased fines and addressing evidentiary issues,” said Attorney General and Justice Minister Scott Armstrong. “These amendments will protect our young people and ensure adults who choose to use cannabis can do so safely, with tested and regulated products.”

Changes to the act include:
– creating a new offence – when a landlord permits a place or premises to be used for the distribution or sale of cannabis in violation of the act
– expanding enforcement – allowing the appointment of peace officers to enforce the act, in addition to police
– increasing fine amounts and setting mandatory minimum fines
– clarifying that courts can infer a product is cannabis based on common-sense observations, such as appearance and odour
– permitting the court to accept a certificate from the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. (NSLC) as proof that someone charged with unauthorized selling did not buy the product from the NSLC.

Quick Facts:
– examples of peace officers include special constables, such as conservation officers
– the federal government legalized cannabis in 2018
– the NSLC is the sole authorized distributor of cannabis in Nova Scotia
– in April 2025, regulations were changed to allow for Mi’kmaw communities to enter into an agreement with the NSLC to open legal, NSLC-regulated cannabis retail stores on reserve

Additional Resources:
Bills tabled in the legislature are available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-65-session-1 

Cannabis Control Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes%20HTML/cannabis%20control.htm