Backlog Of Canadian Marijuana Application Transfers Cut In Half

The number of cannabis companies in Canada that have yet to transition their federal license applications to the new system has been cut in half since the start of the year, but about a quarter of all applications still have not taken the required step.

The number of companies that have not transferred to the Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System (CTLS) fell to 230 at the end of March from 430 earlier this year, according to Health Canada.

Applications not in the system are effectively in regulatory limbo and not being scrutinized by the country’s cannabis regulator.

As of March 31, 762 applications were in Health Canada’s CTLS. Of those, 660 were in the queue for review and 102 were awaiting payment of application screening fees.

By type, 579 applications were for standard licenses, 150 were for micro and 13 for nursery licenses. Another 20 were applications for sales licenses for medical purposes.

About 80 applicants in the CTLS received a “confirmation of readiness” letter by the end of March, which means Health Canada was satisfied they would meet the regulatory requirements based on an in-depth paper review.

Applicants that received that letter now must submit an evidence package to demonstrate that they meet the regulatory requirements in order to be issued a license.

Major changes implemented by Health Canada to the application process in early May do not affect these applicants.

“Health Canada anticipates conducting a high-level review of up to 580 current applications and issuing status update letters to applications that pass this review,” spokeswoman Tammy Jarbeau said.

“These applicants would then need to provide evidence of a built site that meets the regulatory requirements. The department would then review the application in detail, in priority based on their original application date.”

Matt Lamers can be reached at [email protected]

Comments

New York City Adds More Exceptions To Pre-Employment Marijuana Testing Ban

An ambitious campaign to decriminalize psychedelics in Washington, D.C., is one step closer to placing their measure on the November ballot with the formal submission of tens of thousands of voter signatures. Organizers have been scrambling for weeks to collect enough signatures from D.C. voters by Monday’s deadline amid historically difficult circumstances: a global pandemic, months of stay-at-home orders and protests over racism and police violence that filled the streets of the nation’s capital. But with the help of innovative signature-gathering techniques and allies flown in from across the country, advocates said they had successfully submitted upwards of 35,000 signatures—more than enough to qualify the initiative. If approved by voters, Initiative 81 would make enforcement of laws against plant- and fungus-based psychedelics among the “lowest law enforcement priorities” for the Metropolitan Police Department. It would not, however, legalize or reduce penalties for the subs...

Virginia CBD Program Criticized As Multistate Medical Cannabis Operators Gain Edge

Seven companies are challenging a CBD licensing process in Virginia that resulted in multistate medical marijuana operators getting a majority of available licenses. The appeals called the process “wildly prejudicial.” Out of 51 applicants for five vertically integrated CBD and THC-A licenses, multistate operators received three, a situation that spurred the appeals, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Applicants filing the appeals complained the closed-meeting review process lacked fairness and transparency. One consultant to an applicant said the selections felt “predetermined.” The Virginia Board of Pharmacy reportedly sent information to the applicants in December explaining its selections, but some applicants weren’t satisfied. A board spokeswoman wrote in an email to the Pilot that the board “does not comment on pending litigation.” The five winning applicants , called “pharmaceutical processors,” have a year from winning the licenses to become operational. The multist...

Mississippi Medical Marijuana Activists Relieved After Controversial Legalization Resolution Stalls Out

Only a day after a new marijuana decriminalization law took effect in Virginia, top state lawmakers are announcing that they’re already looking ahead to full legalization. A group of Democratic legislators on Thursday announced plans to introduce a bill to legalize and regulate a commercial cannabis market in the state. While the measure isn’t set to be filed until next year, lawmakers framed legalization as necessary in the fight for social and racial justice. “Decriminalizing marijuana is an important step in mitigating racial disparities in the criminal justice system, but there is still much work to do,” House Majority Leader Charniele Herring (D) said in a press release. “While marijuana arrests across the nation have decreased, arrests in Virginia have increased.” Other lawmakers backing the broader legalization push include Sens. Adam Ebbin (D) and Jennifer McClellan (D), as well as Del. Steve Heretick (D). On Wednesday, the state’s new marijuana decriminalization policy t...

Susan Duggan

Search This Blog