C-65 , 41st Parliament, 1st session Thursday, June 2, 2011, to Friday, September 13, 2013

A legislative summary is currently being prepared for this bill by the Parliamentary Information and Research Service of the Library of Parliament. Meanwhile, the following executive summary is available.

On 6 June 2013, the Minister of Health introduced Bill C-65, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Respect for Communities Act), in the House of Commons and it was given first reading.

Currently, under s.56 of the CDSA, the Minister has the authority to grant an exemption to undertake activities using controlled substances for a medical or scientific purpose, or in the public interest. Approximately 10,000 s.56 exemption applications are received every year, most of which are for routine activities using controlled substances from licit sources, including clinical trials, methadone treatment and university research.

Bill C-65 amends the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to, among other things,
• create a separate exemption regime for activities involving the use of a controlled substance or precursor that is obtained in a manner not authorized under this Act;
• specify the purposes for which an exemption may be granted for those activities; and
• set out the information that must be submitted to the Minister of Health before the Minister may consider an application for an exemption in relation to a supervised consumption site.