Controlled Drugs and Substances Act


The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act is Canada's federal drug control statute. Passed in 1996 under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's government, it repeals the Narcotic Control Act and Parts III and IV of the Food and Drugs Act, and establishes eight Schedules of controlled substances and two Classes of precursors. It provides that "The Governor in Council may, by order, amend any of Schedules I to VIII by adding to them or deleting from them any item or portion of an item, where the Governor in Council deems the amendment to be necessary in the public interest."
The Act serves as the implementing legislation for the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

Amendments to the act

In November 2007, the Justice Minister Rob Nicholson introduced Bill C-26, which proposed a number of mandatory minimum penalties imposed on those who commit drug offences.
On 27 February 2009, Bill C-15, a re-introduction of C-26 received first reading in the second session of the 40th Parliament of Canada. On 9 June 2009, the House of Commons passed Bill C-15 and it went to the Senate for study and approval. On 14 December 2009, the Senate passed Bill C-15, with some amendments, for approval by the House of Commons. When the Canadian Parliament dissolved in a prorogation on 31 January 2010, Bill C-15, along with all unpassed legislation then tabled before the Commons, fell.
Early in 2012, the next parliament passed the Safe Streets and Communities Act, which received Royal Assent in March. The final legislation sees changes made to four areas of the Act, outlining mandatory minimum sentences for offences relating to the trafficking and production of various controlled substances. Mandatory minimum sentencing does not apply to simple possession and trafficking in smaller amounts.
On 17 October 2018, the federal Cannabis Act came into effect, legalizing the possession, sale and production of cannabis. Everyone with a criminal record for cannabis possession became eligible to apply for a pardon on this date.

List of drugs

The list below reflects the list of drugs scheduled in Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Schedule I

  • Opium Poppy, its preparations, derivatives, alkaloids and salts, including:
  1. Opium
  2. Codeine
  3. Morphine
  4. Thebaine and the salts, derivatives and salts of derivatives of the substances set out in subitems to, including:
  5. Acetorphine
  6. Acetyldihydrocodeine
  7. Benzylmorphine
  8. Codoxime
  9. Desomorphine
  10. Diacetylmorphine
  11. Dihydrocodeine
  12. Dihydromorphine
  13. Ethylmorphine
  14. Etorphine
  15. Hydrocodone
  16. Hydromorphinol
  17. Hydromorphone
  18. Methyldesorphine
  19. Methyldihydromorphine
  20. Metopon
  21. Morphine-N-oxide
  22. Myrophine
  23. Nalorphine
  24. Nicocodine
  25. Nicomorphine
  26. Norcodeine
  27. Normorphine
  28. Oxycodone
  29. Oxymorphone
  30. Pholcodine
  31. Thebacon but not including:
  32. Apomorphine and its salts
  33. Cyprenorphine -6,7,8,14-tetrahydro-7α- and its salts
  34. Nalmefene and its salts
  35. # Naloxone and its salts
  36. # Naltrexone and its salts
  37. # Methylnaltrexone and its salts
  38. # Naloxegol -17- and its salts
  39. Narcotine -1 and its salts
  40. Papaverine and its salts
  41. Poppy seed
  • Coca, its preparations, derivatives, alkaloids and salts, including:
  1. Coca leaves
  2. Cocaine
  3. Ecgonine but not including:
  4. 123l-ioflupane
  • Phenylpiperidines, their intermediates, salts, derivatives and analogues and salts of intermediates, derivatives and analogues, including:
  1. Allylprodine
  2. Alphameprodine
  3. Alphaprodine
  4. Anileridine
  5. Betameprodine
  6. Betaprodine
  7. Benzethidine
  8. Diphenoxylate
  9. Difenoxin
  10. Etoxeridine
  11. Furethidine
  12. Hydroxypethidine
  13. Ketobemidone
  14. Methylphenylisonipecotonitrile
  15. Morpheridine
  16. Norpethidine
  17. Pethidine
  18. Phenoperidine
  19. Piminodine
  20. Properidine
  21. Trimeperidine
  22. Pethidine Intermediate C but not including:
  23. Carbamethidine and its salts
  24. Oxpheneridine and its salts
  • Phenazepines, their salts, derivatives and salts of derivatives including:
  1. Proheptazine but not including:
  2. Ethoheptazine and its salts
  3. Metethoheptazine and its salts
  4. Metheptazine and its salts
  • Amidones, their intermediates, salts, derivatives and salts of intermediates and derivatives including:
  1. Dimethylaminodiphenylbutanonitrile
  2. Dipipanone
  3. Isomethadone
  4. Methadone
  5. Normethadone
  6. Norpipanone
  7. Phenadoxone
  • Methadols, their salts, derivatives and salts of derivatives including:
  1. Acetylmethadol
  2. Alphacetylmethadol
  3. Alphamethadol
  4. Betacetylmethadol
  5. Betamethadol
  6. Dimepheptanol
  7. Noracymethadol
  • Phenalkoxams, their salts, derivatives and salts of derivatives including:
  1. Dimenoxadol
  2. Dioxaphetyl butyrate
  3. Dextropropoxyphene ]-α--4-
  4. Carfentanil phenylamino]-1-
  5. p-Fluorofentanyl
  6. Fentanyl
  7. β-Hydroxyfentanyl
  8. β-Hydroxy-3-methylfentanyl
  9. α-Methylfentanyl
  10. α-Methylthiofentanyl
  11. 3-Methylfentanyl
  12. 3-Methylthiofentanyl
  13. # Remifentanil
  14. Sufentanil -1--1-, its salts, isomers and salts of isomers and the following derivatives of tramadol and the salts, isomers and salts of isomers of those derivatives:
  15. O-desmethyltramadol
  16. N,O-didesmethyltramadol

Schedule II

  1. Synthetic cannabinoid receptor type 1 agonists, their salts, derivatives, isomers, and salts of derivatives and isomers — with the exception of any substance that is identical to any phytocannabinoid and with the exception of -2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3--1-naphthalenyl-methanone and its salts — including those that fall within the following core chemical structure classes:
  2. # Any substance that has a 2-phenol structure with substitution at the 1-position of the benzene ring by a hydroxy, ether or ester group and further substituted at the 5-position of the benzene ring, whether or not further substituted on the benzene ring to any extent, and substituted at the 3’-position of the cyclohexyl ring by an alkyl, carbonyl, hydroxyl, ether or ester, and whether or not further substituted on the cyclohexyl ring to any extent, including
  3. ## Nabilone -trans-3-
  4. ## Parahexyl
  5. ## 3--7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-6H-dibenzopyran-1-ol
  6. ## 5--2-phenol
  7. ## 5--2-phenol
  8. # Any substance that has a 3-indole structure with substitution at the nitrogen atom of the indole ring, whether or not further substituted on the indole ring to any extent and whether or not substituted on the naphthyl ring to any extent, including
  9. ## 1-pentyl-3-indole
  10. ## 1-butyl-3-indole
  11. ## 1-pentyl-3-indole
  12. ## 1-hexyl-3-indole
  13. ## 1--3-indole
  14. ## 1-butyl-3-indole
  15. ## 1-pentyl-3-indole
  16. ## 1--3-indole
  17. ## 1-pentyl-3-indole
  18. ## 1-pentyl-3-indole
  19. ## 1--3-indole
  20. ## 1--3-indole
  21. ## 1--3-indole
  22. ## 1--3-indole
  23. ## -2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3--1-naphthalenyl-methanone
  24. # Any substance that has a 3-pyrrole structure with substitution at the nitrogen atom of the pyrrole ring, whether or not further substituted on the pyrrole ring to any extent and whether or not substituted on the naphthyl ring to any extent, including
  25. ## 1-pentyl-5--3-pyrrole
  26. # Any substance that has a 3-phenylacetylindole structure with substitution at the nitrogen atom of the indole ring, whether or not further substituted on the indole ring to any extent and whether or not substituted on the phenyl ring to any extent, including
  27. ## 1-pentyl-3-indole
  28. ## 1-pentyl-3-indole
  29. ## 1-pentyl-3-indole
  30. # Any substance that has a 3-benzoylindole structure with substitution at the nitrogen atom of the indole ring, whether or not further substituted on the indole ring to any extent and whether or not substituted on the phenyl ring to any extent, including
  31. ## 1--3-indole
  32. # Any substance that has a 3-methanoneindole structure with substitution at the nitrogen atom of the indole ring, whether or not further substituted on the indole ring to any extent and whether or not substituted on the cyclopropyl ring to any extent, including
  33. ## -methanone
  34. ## -methanone
  35. ## -methanone
  36. # Any substance that has a quinolin-8-yl 1H-indole-3-carboxylate structure with substitution at the nitrogen atom of the indole ring, whether or not further substituted on the indole ring to any extent and whether or not substituted on the quinolin-8-yl ring to any extent, including
  37. ## 1-pentyl-8-quinolinyl ester-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid
  38. ## 1--8-quinolinyl ester-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid
  39. # Any substance that has a 3-carboxamideindazole structure with substitution at the nitrogen atom of the indazole ring, whether or not further substituted on the indazole ring to any extent and whether or not substituted at the carboxamide group to any extent, including
  40. ## N--1-pentyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide
  41. ## N--1--1H-indazole-3-carboxamide
  42. ## N--1--1H-indazole-3-carboxamide
  43. ## N--1-pentyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide
  44. # Any substance that has a 3-carboxamideindole structure with substitution at the nitrogen atom of the indole ring, whether or not further substituted on the indole ring to any extent and whether or not substituted at the carboxamide group to any extent, including
  45. ## N--1-fluoropentylindole-3-carboxamide
  46. ## N--1-pentylindole-3-carboxamide

Schedule III

  1. Methylphenidate and any salts, derivatives, isomers, and analogues and salts of derivatives, isomers, and analogues, including:
  2. #Ethylphenidate
  3. #Isopropylphenidate
  4. #Propylphenidate
  5. #3,4-Dichloromethylphenidate -2-
  6. #4-Methylmethylphenidate -2-
  7. #4-Fluoromethylphenidate -2-
  8. #Methylnaphthidate -2-
  9. #Ethylnaphthidate -2-
  10. Methaqualone -4 and any salt thereof
  11. Mecloqualone -4 and any salt thereof
  12. LSD and any salt thereof
  13. DET and any salt thereof
  14. DMT and any salt thereof
  15. JB-336 and any salt thereof
  16. Harmaline and any salt thereof
  17. Harmalol and any salt thereof
  18. Psilocin and any salt thereof
  19. Psilocybin and any salt thereof
  20. PCE and any salt thereof
  21. TCP and any salt thereof
  22. PCPr and any salt thereof
  23. Rolicyclidine and any salt thereof
  24. Mescaline and any salt thereof, but not peyote
  25. 4-Methylaminorex and any salt thereof
  26. Cathinone and any salt thereof
  27. Fenetylline and any salt thereof
  28. Methcathinone and any salt thereof
  29. Benzylcyclidine and any salt thereof
  30. 4-Methyl-PCP and any salt thereof
  34. Aminorex and any salt thereof
  35. Etryptamine and any salt thereof
  36. Lefetamine and any salt thereof
  37. Mesocarb -N- and any salt thereof
  38. Zipeprol -α- and any salt thereof
  39. Amineptine and any salt thereof
  40. BZP and its salts, isomers and salts of isomers
  41. TFMPP and its salts, isomers and salts of isomers
  42. 2C-phenethylamines and their salts, derivatives, isomers and salts of derivatives and isomers that correspond to the following chemical description:
  43. : any substance that has a 1-amino-2-phenylethane structure substituted at the 2' and 5' or 2' and 6' positions of the benzene ring by an alkoxy or haloalkoxy group, or substituted at two adjacent carbon atoms of the benzene ring which results in the formation of a furan, dihydrofuran, pyran, dihydropyran or methylenedioxy group—whether or not further substituted on the benzene ring to any extent, whether or not substituted at the amino group by one or two, or a combination of, methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, hydroxyl, benzyl or benzylene groups and whether or not substituted at the 2-ethyl position by a hydroxyl, oxo or alkoxy group—and its salts and derivatives and salts of derivatives, including:
  44. 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-phenethylamine
  45. 4-chloro-2,5-dimethoxy-N-phenethylamine
  46. 4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-phenethylamine
  47. 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxybenzeneethanamine

Schedule IV

  1. Allobarbital
  2. Alphenal
  3. Amobarbital
  4. Aprobarbital
  5. Barbital
  7. Butabarbital
  8. Butalbital
  9. Butallylonal
  10. Butethal
  11. Cyclobarbital
  12. Cyclopal
  13. Heptabarbital
  14. Hexethal
  15. Hexobarbital
  16. Mephobarbital
  17. Methabarbital
  18. Methylphenobarbital
  19. Propallylonal
  20. Pentobarbital
  21. Phenobarbital
  22. Probarbital
  23. Phenylmethylbarbituric acid
  24. Secobarbital
  25. Sigmodal -5-
  26. Talbutal
  27. Vinbarbital
  28. Vinylbital but not including:
  29. Barbituric acid and its salts
  30. 1,3-dimethylbarbituric acid and its salts
  • Thiobarbiturates, their salts and derivatives including:
  1. Thialbarbital
  2. Thiamylal
  3. Thiobarbituric acid
  4. Thiopental
  1. Alprazolam
  2. Bromazepam
  3. Brotizolam
  4. Camazepam
  5. Chlordiazepoxide
  6. Clobazam
  7. Clonazepam
  8. Clorazepate
  9. Cloxazolam -2,3, 7,11b-tetrahydrooxazolobenzodiazepin 6-
  10. Delorazepam
  11. Diazepam
  12. Estazolam
  13. Ethyl Loflazepate
  14. Fludiazepam
  16. Flurazepam ethyl]-5-
  17. Halazepam
  18. Haloxazolam -2,3,7,11b-tetrahydrooxazolobenzodiazepin-6
  19. Ketazolam
  20. Loprazolam -2,4-dihydro-2-
[Lorazepam
  1. Lormetazepam
  2. Medazepam
  3. # Midazolam
  4. Nimetazepam
  5. Nitrazepam
  6. Nordazepam
  7. Oxazepam
  8. Oxazolam
  9. Pinazepam
  10. Prazepam
  11. # Quazepam -1,3-dihydro-1-
  12. Temazepam
  13. Tetrazepam
  14. Triazolam but not including:
  15. Clozapine and any salt thereof
  16. Flunitrazepam and any salts or derivatives thereof
  17. Olanzapine and its salts
  18. Clozapine N-oxide and its salts
  1. Cathine
  1. Androisoxazole
  2. Androstanolone
  3. Androstenediol
  4. Bolandiol
  5. Bolasterone
  6. Bolazine
  7. Boldenone
  8. Bolenol
  9. Calusterone
  10. Clostebol
  11. Drostanolone
  12. Enestebol
  13. Epitiostanol
  14. Ethylestrenol
  15. 4-Hydroxy-19-nor testosterone
  16. Fluoxymesterone
  17. Formebolone
  18. Furazabol
  19. Mebolazine
  20. Mesabolone
  21. Mesterolone
  22. Metandienone
  23. Metenolone
  24. Methandriol
  25. Methyltestosterone
  26. Metribolone
  27. Mibolerone
  28. Nandrolone
  29. Norboletone
  30. Norclostebol
  31. Norethandrolone
  32. Oxabolone
  33. Oxandrolone
  34. Oxymesterone
  35. Oxymetholone
  36. Prasterone
  37. Quinbolone
  38. Stanozolol
  39. Stenbolone
  40. Testosterone
  41. Tibolone -17-hydroxy-7-methyl-19-norpregn-5
  42. Tiomesterone
  43. Trenbolone
  1. Pemoline and any salt thereof
  1. Salvinorin A -9--2-

Schedule V

1996, c. 19, Sch. V; SOR/2002-361, s. 1; SOR/2003-32, s. 7; 2017, c. 7, s. 50.

Schedule VI (Precursors)

PART 1

Class A Precursors

PART 2

Class B Precursors

PART 3

Preparations and Mixtures
  • Any preparation or mixture that contains a precursor set out in Part 1, except items 20 to 23, or in Part 2.

Schedule VII

Previously prohibited the possession of cannabis and cannabis resin in amounts greater than 3 kg.

Schedule VIII

Previously prohibited the possession of cannabis and cannabis resin in amounts greater than 30 grams and 1 gram, respectively.

Schedule IX

  1. Manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic device that may be used to compact or mould powdered, granular or semi-solid material to produce coherent solid tablets
  2. Manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic device that may be used to fill capsules with any powdered, granular, semi-solid or liquid material

Laws – Penalties

Possession

If tried as an indictable offence, the defendant is liable to:
Schedule I: Maximum 3 years' imprisonment
Schedule II: Maximum 2 years' imprisonment
Schedule III: Maximum 1 years' imprisonment
Schedule IV: It is not an indictable offence to possess a Schedule IV substance for personal use.
If tried as a summary conviction offence, the defendant is liable to:
Schedule I, II, or III: Maximum $1000 fine for the first offence and/or a maximum 6-month term of imprisonment, increasing to a maximum fine of $2000 for each subsequent offense and/or a maximum of 1 year in prison.
Schedule IV: It is not a summary offence to possess a Schedule IV substance for personal use.
Section, Subsection of the CDSA reads that any person who obtains or who makes any attempt to obtain a Schedule I through IV substance from a physician without fully disclosing the details of any previous instances of obtaining a Schedule I through IV substance in the preceding thirty days, a practice often referred to as "doctor shopping", is guilty of a summary or indictable offense, as per Section, Subsection and.
These drugs are considered lawful if the person from whom the substance, precursor or property was seized came into possession of it lawfully and continued to deal with it lawfully, such as through a prescription by a prescribing practitioner.

Trafficking/Possession for the Purpose of

If tried as an indictable offence, the defendant is liable to:
Schedule I or Schedule II: Maximum 4 years' imprisonment
Schedule III: Maximum 4 years' imprisonment
Schedule IV: Maximum 2 years' imprisonment
Or, if tried as a summary conviction, the defendant is liable to:
Schedule III: Maximum 9 months' imprisonment
Schedule IV: Maximum 6 months' imprisonment

Smuggling/Possession for the Purpose of Distribution

If tried as an indictable offence, the defendant is liable to:
Schedule I or Schedule II: Maximum 4 years' imprisonment
  • Mandatory minimum 1 year's imprisonment for exporting a Schedule I drug under 1 kg, 2 years if amount exceeds 1 kg
Schedule III or Schedule IV: Maximum 4 years' imprisonment
Schedule V or Schedule VI: Maximum 2 years' imprisonment
Or, if tried as a summary conviction, the defendant is liable to:
Schedule III or Schedule IV: Maximum 9 months' imprisonment
Schedule V or Schedule VI: Maximum 6 months' imprisonment

Production

If tried as an indictable offence, the defendant is liable to:
Schedule I or Schedule II: Maximum 4 years imprisonment
  • minimum 2 years' imprisonment
Schedule III: Maximum 4 years' imprisonment
Schedule IV: Maximum 2 years' imprisonment
Or, if tried as a summary conviction, the defendant is liable to:
Schedule III: Maximum 9 months' imprisonment
Schedule IV: Maximum 6 months' imprisonment