Industrial Hemp Licence
Industrial Hemp Licence
Industrial hemp includes cannabis plants, and parts of the plant of any variety, that contains 0.3 % tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or less in the leaves and flowering heads. An Industrial Hemp Licence opens doors for hemp production businesses. Holders of an Industrial Hemp Licence may grow hemp and produce products using the grain from that crop (e.g. for hulled hemp seed, hemp protein powder, hemp seed oil). Reach out to us if you need assistance obtaining an industrial hemp licence.
Determine the need for an industrial hemp licence
Table 1 can be used to help the applicant determine whether an industrial hemp licence is appropriate for the proposed activities. The table provides an overview of scenarios where an industrial hemp licence is or is not required.
| Industrial hemp licence requirement scenarios | ||
| I want to… | In the form of… | Licence required |
| Grow industrial hemp | Approved cultivars/varieties | Industrial hemp licence |
| Unapproved cultivars/varieties with less than 0.3% THC (weight/weight) in the flowering heads and leaves (for plant breeding/propagation purposes) | Industrial hemp licence | |
| Make derivatives/products from industrial hemp | Grain (viable grain) (e.g. for hulled hemp seed, hemp protein powder, hemp seed oil) | Industrial hemp licence |
| Non-viable grain (grain that have been specifically rendered non-viable or sterile) | No licence required under the Cannabis Act | |
| Bare mature stalks or fibre from those stalks | No licence required under the Cannabis Act | |
| Roots or parts of the root | No licence required under the Cannabis Act | |
| Flowering heads, leaves, and branches (e.g. extraction to make CBD oil) | Cannabis processing or cultivation licence | |
| Sell industrial hemp | Seed (pedigreed seed) | Industrial hemp licence |
| Grain (viable grain) | Industrial hemp licence | |
| Products/derivatives made from grain (e.g. hulled hemp seed, hemp seed oil, hemp protein powder) that contain 10 μg/g THC or less. | No licence required if less than 10µg/g THC after testing and compliant with paragraph 2(1)(b) of the Industrial Hemp Regulations in the case of wholesale sale | |
| Sale to provincial retailers:
Cannabis processing or cultivation licence | ||
| Sale to consumers:
Provincial or territorial sales licence (depends on province or territory) | ||
| Sale to registered medical users:
Cannabis medical sales licence | ||
| Flowering heads, leaves, and branches (to holders of an industrial hemp licence or licence under the Cannabis Regulations only) | Industrial hemp licence | |
| Non-viable grain (grain that have been specifically rendered non-viable or sterile) | No licence required under the Cannabis Act | |
| Bare mature stalks or fibre from those stalks | No licence required under the Cannabis Act | |
| Roots or parts of the root | No licence required under the Cannabis Act | |
| Import/export industrial hemp | Seed (pedigreed seed) | Industrial hemp licence
(import/export permit also required for each shipment) |
| Grain (viable grain) | Industrial hemp licence
(import/export permit also required for each shipment) | |
| Non-viable grain (grain that have been specifically rendered non-viable) | No licence required under the Cannabis Act | |
| Bare mature stalks or fibre from those stalks | No licence required under the Cannabis Act | |
| Roots or parts of the root | No licence required under the Cannabis Act | |
| Flowering heads, leaves, and branches | Any licence under the Cannabis Regulations – only for medical and scientific purposes (import/export permit also required for each shipment) | |
| Products/derivatives made from grain (e.g. hulled hemp seed, hemp seed oil, hemp protein powder) that contain 10 μg/g THC or less. | No licence required if less than 10µg/g THC after testing and compliant with paragraph 2(1)(b) of the Industrial Hemp Regulations in the case of wholesale sale. | |
| Products/derivatives made from flowering heads, leaves, or branches (e.g. CBD/CBD oil) | Any licence under the Cannabis Regulations – only for medical and scientific purposes (import/export permit also required for each shipment) | |
| Sterilize (render non-viable) grain to make non-viable grain | Grain (viable grain) | Industrial hemp licence |
| Clean industrial hemp seed or grain | Seed (pedigreed seed) or grain (viable grain) | Industrial hemp licence |
| Prepare (condition) industrial hemp seed | Seed (pedigreed seed) | Industrial hemp licence |
| Agronomical Research (soil, plots, crop rotation) | Grain (viable grain), fibre or flowering heads, leaves and branches | Industrial hemp licence |
| Research (analytical testing, feminized seeds) | Seed (pedigreed seed), grain (viable grain), fibre or flowering heads, leaves and branches | Research or Analytical Testing Licence under the Cannabis Regulations |