Home cultivation of cannabis banned in Quebec

This week, I’m going to talk about the home cultivation of cannabis, an issue that has been on the minds of CORPIQ and its members for several years.

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Since 2017, CORPIQ has been lobbying governments to ban the cultivation of cannabis at home. The federal government has adopted a very permissive law but allows provincial governments to adopt a stricter law. After lobbying by various groups, including CORPIQ, the Quebec government passed a much tougher law banning home cultivation of cannabis.

Of course, this legislation was challenged and went to the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court of Canada. Last Friday, the Supreme Court handed down its decision, and the good news is that it upheld Quebec’s legislation banning home cultivation of cannabis. For you as a landlord, this means that there will no longer be an inconsistency between two pieces of legislation that could often prevent you from enforcing your own rules and banning cannabis cultivation in your housing units. This practice, as we know, can accelerate the deterioration of your dwellings and bring unwanted comings and goings. The consequences that sometimes result from cannabis cultivation can understandably cause concern, including security concerns, in your buildings.

That’s why it’s welcome news that the Quebec legislation will be enforced and that offenders will be fined between $250 and $750. As a landlord, I encourage you to notify your local police if you are confronted with cannabis cultivation violations. Although fines may be issued, the most important thing is to enforce the rules in your rental property. This is a major victory for both CORPIQ and its members, and we thank you in advance for following and supporting CORPIQ in this matter.