Health Canada Removes the CBD Regulation Plan from 2025–27 Agenda

A plan to regulate CBD products that would not require practitioner oversight is no longer included in Health Canada's Forward Regulatory Plan for 2025–2027. However, the agency insists that it still acknowledges the significance of this work.

In December 2025, Health Canada released its Forward Regulatory Plan (FRP) for 2025–2027, which included specific initiatives like updates for Natural Health Products (NHPs) and ongoing reviews.

A proposed method of regulating health products containing cannabidiol (CBD) that would not require practitioner oversight was mentioned in the agency's prior FRPs for a number of years, but this goal is no longer mentioned in the most recent version of the document.

Since 2018, the agency has been investigating the subject. CBD products are currently available to Canadians through the country's cannabis for medicinal use program, which only permits online sales, or through non-medical "recreational" outlets where staff members are prohibited from discussing potential health consequences.

In response to StratCann's inquiries about the regulatory strategy and the dedication to a pathway for authorizing health products containing CBD, a Health Canada media representative gave the following remarks:

“The Department acknowledges the significance of this work, even though Health Canada's Forward Regulatory Plan: 2025-2027 does not include a commitment to developing a suggested approach to the regulation of health products containing cannabidiol (CBD) that would not require practitioner oversight. 

“To explore a regulatory pathway for the legalization of health products containing CBD that might be obtained without a prescription for both human and animal usage, Health Canada released a discussion paper for consultation between March and June 2025. The comments highlighted that substantial and committed scientific, policy, and regulatory work will be needed to build a policy and regulatory framework.

“In this regard, Health Canada is giving top priority to its initiatives under the Government of Canada's Red Tape Review, including a pledge to cut red tape for non-prescription medications and natural health products.

“Prescription medications containing CBD, medical cannabis products with a doctor's approval, and non-medical cannabis products without health claims are still available to Canadians through a licensed cannabis store.”