7 years (Schedule I) / 3 years (Schedule III)
Hybrid offence under CDSA. Schedule I possession with a 7-year maximum creates inadmissibility under IRPA s.36(2). Cannabis possession has been legal in Canada since October 2018 (Cannabis Act) — foreign cannabis possession convictions may no longer have a Canadian equivalent. Other drug possession remains grounds for inadmissibility.
Except as authorized under the regulations, no person shall possess a substance included in Schedule I, II, or III of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Punishment varies by schedule: Schedule I (e.g., heroin, cocaine, fentanyl) — indictable: 7 years. Schedule II (cannabis — now governed by Cannabis Act) — no longer applicable for simple possession. Schedule III (e.g., amphetamines) — indictable: 3 years.