The Canadian authorized licensed producer of medical marijuana application process under Health Canada's Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations ("ACMPR") is extremely tedious and intricate. If the process was quick and easy, then there would be way more than the 38 currently authorized LP's! With seven steps to the application from start to finish, the beginning sets the framework for the remainder of the process.
If you haven't checked it out already, our article briefing readers on the seven steps of the ACMPR application is a worthwhile first step for getting a handle on the process.
As mentioned in the overview article, before the enhanced screening phase, comes the application receipt and preliminary application screening phases.
Assuming that the application has passed the preliminary application screening stage, the application has been assigned a unique application reference number. This application reference number is used through the remainder of Health Canada's application process.
At this enhanced screening stage, the LP application is "reviewed to ensure that the level of detail included in the application is sufficient to assess the requirements of the regulations." Essentially, applicants can be punished for vagueness.
As mentioned on the Health Canada website, "an application can be refused at any stage of the process." This makes it imperative that applicants put fourth an application with the highest possible level of detail and truthfulness. Vague or misleading applications are a red flag for sure.
Beyond the level of detail, there are a handful of other considerations taken at this stage of the process:
Location
Public health risk
Public safety risk
Public security risk
Proposed security plan
Qualifications and credentials regarding the assigned Quality Assurance Person
and more....
On an application-by-application basis, LP applicants can also be screened or reviewed for other details and information that Health Canada deems to be pertinent to the application. Beyond just meeting Health Canada's federal-level requirements, applicants must also be sure to give the required notice to their proposed location's local-level government officials. Since licensed producers must "comply with all applicable provincial/territorial and municipal laws, including zoning restrictions, fire and electrical safety, and waste management."
As shown in the infographic to the left, 253 out of 1561 applications have been refused for one reason or another. Beyond just worrying about application refusal, "an applicant may be sent back to a stage previously cleared if new information affecting the application is received by Health Canada."
Having your application in order ahead of time will help make the process go much smoother. Without complications, this process can take well over a year to complete. With missteps, applicants can be refused or stalled at any point in the process. This ads more time, money, and extra effort to the already arduous process.
This complicated set of regulations governs the 38 currently authorized licensed producers of medical marijuana that we often cover such as Aurora Cannabis, Canopy Growth, and Invictus MD Strategies, to name a few.
Check back often, as The Daily Marijuana Observer increases coverage of topics related to Health Canada's cannabis regulatory regime. If you are interested in learning more about any of the Canadian licensed producers, be sure to check out the companies' stock profiles in our comprehensive marijuana stocks database.
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