Nova Scotia’s justice minister says the government is “strengthening” the Cannabis Control Act by tabling legislation as part of a crackdown on illegal dispensaries.
Justice Minister Scott Armstrong says his bill, which was introduced Wednesday, will “protect our young people and ensure adults who choose to use cannabis can do so safely, with tested and regulated products.”
“We are strengthening the Cannabis Control Act through expanded enforcement authority, increased fines and addressing evidentiary issues,” he said in a statement.
After the federal government legalized recreational cannabis in 2018, the province brought in the Cannabis Control Act, which makes the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) the exclusive legal retailer of cannabis in the province.
The new changes to the act include the creation of a new offence for when a landlord allows a place to be used for the illegal sale of cannabis.
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The government is also expanding enforcement to allow peace officers, such as conservation officers, to enforce the act.
In December 2025, the province issued a directive for police to “intensify enforcement” to stop illegal cannabis operations.
Armstrong also sent a letter to 13 Mi’kmaq chiefs to ask for their “co-operation.”
In response, Mi’kmaq chiefs have criticized the Tim Houston government, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.
Houston has said the crackdown is motivated in part by a desire to rein in human trafficking and to ensure cannabis that’s sold isn’t contaminated with fentanyl.
However, the federal justice minister has said there are no reports of human trafficking linked to contraband cannabis.
As well, both Nova Scotia RCMP and Halifax Regional Police have said they are not aware of any fentanyl having been detected in cannabis taken from illegal storefronts.
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