Classifying Cannabis in the Canadian Statistical System

In order to properly record and portray the economic and social aspects related to the legalization of cannabis, Statistics Canada has had to update the agency's classification systems such as the product classification system and industry classification system. The following represent the changes to the classification systems.

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Agriculture

NAICS Canada industries

  • 111412 Cannabis grown under cover
  • 111995 Cannabis grown in open fields

NAPCS Canada products

  • 2131111 Cannabis seeds, in bulk
  • 2131112 Cannabis seeds, prepared for retail sale, for non-medical use
  • 2131113 Cannabis seeds, prepared for retail sale, for medical use
  • 2131121 Cannabis vegetative plants, in bulk
  • 2131122 Cannabis vegetative plants, prepared for retail sale, for non-medical use
  • 2131123 Cannabis vegetative plants, prepared for retail sale, for medical use
  • 2131211 Fresh cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), in bulk
  • 2131212 Fresh cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), prepared for retail sale, for non-medical use
  • 2131213 Fresh cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), prepared for retail sale, for medical use
  • 2131221 Dried cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), in bulk
  • 2131222 Dried cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), prepared for retail sale, for non- medical use
  • 2131223 Dried cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), prepared for retail sale, for medical use

Manufacturing

NAICS Canada industries

  • 312310 Cannabis product manufacturing

NAPCS Canada products

  • 2131311 Cannabis oil, in bulk
  • 2131312 Cannabis oil, prepared for retail sale, for non-medical use
  • 2131313 Cannabis oil, prepared for retail sale, for medical use
  • 2131321 Cannabis extracts and concentrates (except oil)
  • 2131331 Cannabis-infused beverages
  • 2131332 Cannabis-infused edible products (except beverages)
  • 2131341 Other cannabis products, n.e.c.

Wholesale trade

NAICS Canada industries

  • 413410 Cannabis merchant wholesalers

NAPCS Canada products

  • 5512111 Cannabis seeds, at wholesale
  • 5512112 Cannabis vegetative plants, at wholesale
  • 5512121 Fresh cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), at wholesale
  • 5512122 Dried cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), for non-medical use, at wholesale
  • 5512123 Dried cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), for medical use, at wholesale
  • 5512131 Cannabis oil, for non-medical use, at wholesale
  • 5512132 Cannabis oil, for medical use, at wholesale
  • 5512141 Cannabis extracts and concentrates (except oil), at wholesale
  • 5512151 Cannabis-infused beverages, at wholesale
  • 5512152 Cannabis-infused edible products (except beverages), at wholesale
  • 5512161 Other cannabis products, n.e.c., at wholesale
  • 5521112 Wholesale trade commissions, for cannabis products

Retail trade

NAICS Canada industries

  • 453993 Cannabis stores

NAPCS Canada products

  • 5611311 Cannabis seeds, at retail
  • 5611312 Cannabis vegetative plants, at retail
  • 5611321 Fresh cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), for non-medical use, at retail
  • 5611322 Fresh cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), for medical use, at retail
  • 5611331 Dried cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), for non-medical use, at retail
  • 5611332 Dried cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), for medical use, at retail
  • 5611341 Cannabis oil, for non-medical use, at retail
  • 5611342 Cannabis oil, for medical use, at retail
  • 5611351 Cannabis extracts and concentrates (except oil), at retail
  • 5611361 Cannabis-infused beverages, at retail
  • 5611362 Cannabis-infused edible products (except beverages), at retail
  • 5611371 Other cannabis products, n.e.c., at retail
  • 5621112 Retail trade commissions, for cannabis products

Services

NAPCS Canada products

  • 5141111 Postal services
  • 51412 Courier, parcel, and local messenger and delivery services
  • 642 Research and development services
  • 6814191 Cannabis products manufacturing services (new)
  • 7723131 Testing laboratory services

Imports/Exports Products

The following are the most important HS codes related to cannabis.

Canadian Export Classification

  • 0602.90.90 Live plants, nes
  • 1209.99.00 Seeds for sowing, nes
  • 1211.90.10 Cannabis plants (including seeds, and fresh and dried cannabis)
  • 1301.90.10 Cannabis resin
  • 1302.19.10 Cannabis oil and extracts
  • 3004.90.10 Cannabis medicaments (including solids and non-solids containing cannabis, and cannabis solid and non-solid concentrates)

Customs Tariff (Imports)

  • 0602.90.90.90 Live plants, nes
  • 1209.99.10.29 Seeds for sowing, nes
  • 1211.90.90.50 Cannabis plants (including seeds, and fresh and dried cannabis)
  • 1301.90.00.10 Cannabis resin
  • 1302.19.00.10 Cannabis oil and extracts
  • 3004.90.00.21 Cannabis medicaments (including solids and non-solids containing cannabis, and cannabis solid and non-solid concentrates)

Raw Materials Price Index (RMPI)

NAPCS Canada products

  • 2131111 Cannabis seeds, in bulk
  • 2131121 Cannabis vegetative plants, in bulk
  • 2131211 Fresh cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), in bulk

Industrial Product Price Index (IPPI)

NAPCS Canada products

  • 2131221 Dried cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), in bulk
  • 2131222 Dried cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), prepared for retail sale, for non-medical use
  • 2131223 Dried cannabis flowering tops (including leaves), prepared for retail sale, for medical use
  • 2131311 Cannabis oil, in bulk
  • 2131312 Cannabis oil, prepared for retail sale, for non-medical use
  • 2131313 Cannabis oil, prepared for retail sale, for medical use
  • 2131321 Cannabis extracts and concentrates (except oil)
  • 2131331 Cannabis-infused beverages
  • 2131332 Cannabis-infused edible products (except beverages)
  • 2131341 Other cannabis products, n.e.c.

Supply and Use Product Classification, Input-Output Industry Classification

New codes for cannabis industries and products will be introduced in SUPC and IOIC (System of National Economic Accounts) beginning with reference year 2016 with first release in November 2019.

Supply and Use Product Classification (SUPC)

  • MPG111C00 Cannabis plants, seeds and flowering tops
  • MPG312300 Cannabis products (except plants, seeds and flowering tops)
  • MPS453BL0 Retail margins - cannabis products (licensed)
  • MPS453BU0 Retail margins - cannabis products (unlicensed)

Input-Output Industry Classification (IOIC)

  • BS111CL0 Cannabis production (licensed)
  • BS111CU0 Cannabis production (unlicensed)
  • BS453BL0 Cannabis stores (licensed)
  • BS453BU0 Cannabis stores (unlicensed)

Government

The following are proposals for new cannabis classes for CCOFOG and CGFS.

Canadian Classification of Functions of Government (CCOFOG)

  • 70311 Cannabis-related use of police services
  • 70334 Cannabis-related use of law courts, affairs, and services
  • 70343 Cannabis-related corrections
  • 70735 Cannabis-related use of hospital services
  • 70762 Cannabis-related health prevention programs

Canadian Government Finance Statistics (CGFS)

  • 1142.4 Cannabis taxes
  • 1143.4 Remitted profits from cannabis sales
  • 11452.8 Cannabis licences and permits

Household expenditures

Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP)

  • Division 02 – Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics
  • 02.3.4.0.0 Narcotics (ND) – Excludes cannabis for medicinal use
  • Division 06 – Health
  • 06.1.1 Medicines (ND)
  • Division 11 – Restaurants and hotels
  • 11.1.1.2 Restaurants, cafés and the like

Household final expenditure (Canada)

  • PEC023AL Cannabis products for non-medical use (licensed)
  • PEC023AU Cannabis products for non-medical use (unlicensed)
  • PEC0611A Cannabis products for medical use

Education

Statistics Canada has a new Variant of CIP 2016 for cannabis, which is unique to the Canadian CIP.

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)

  • 71.0101 Cannabis processing and inspection
  • 71.0102 Cannabis production operations and management
  • 71.0103 Cannabis product development and breeding
  • 71.0104 Cooking with cannabis, general
  • 71.0105 Cannabis culinary arts/cannabis chef training
  • 71.0106 Cannabis health policy analysis
  • 71.0107 Cannabis abuse/cannabis addiction counselling
  • 71.0108 Cannabis public health, other
  • 71.0109 Cannabis health professions and related clinical sciences, other
  • 71.0110 Cannabis selling skills and sales operations
  • 71.0111 Cannabis marketing and marketing operations
  • 71.0199 Cannabis, other

Occupations

National Occupational Classification (NOC)

These are NOC Unit groups that relate to Cannabis occupations:

  • 0212 Architecture and science managers
  • 0621 Retail and wholesale trade managers
  • 0822 Managers in horticulture
  • 2121 Biologists and related scientists
  • 2211 Chemical technologists and technicians
  • 2225 Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists
  • 3233 Licensed practical nurses
  • 6421 Retail salespersons
  • 7514 Delivery and courier drivers
  • 8255 Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services
  • 8432 Nursery and greenhouse workers
  • 9213 Supervisors, food and beverage processing
  • 9461 Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
  • 9617 Labourers in food and beverage processing

Definitions

Cannabis

A plant of the genus Cannabis refers generally to three varieties which are Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis. Sativas and Indicas are the most commonly used in cannabis strains for cultivation and propagation. The genetics of the different cannabis strains are widely mixed or cloned to create cannabis hybrids. Cannabis contains a number of active elements, including cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or dronabinol, cannabidiol (CBD) and terpenes (aromatic compounds or chemical markers). Cannabis plants with a level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) less than 0.3% (industrial hemp) and cannabis-based pharmaceutical drugs are excluded from the classification group for cannabis products.

Cannabis for medical use

This refers to cannabis bred to contain cannabinoids, in particular tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), and may also include CBD extracted from hemp, for medical use. To obtain cannabis for medical use, a patient or client generally needs to register with a governmental authority and a holder of a licence for sale of cannabis for medical purposes, and get an authorization (medical document and written order) from an authorized health care practitioner. Cannabis for medical use should not be confused with cannabis-based prescription drugs.

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