5 Steps to Get Your Micro Cultivation Licence in Canada

Updated for 2026

Micro cultivation in Canada is still a full Health Canada regulated production site. “Micro” refers to your grow surface area limit, not whether the facility is casual or simple.

As of the March 12, 2025 regulatory updates, a micro cultivation licence allows up to 800 m² of grow surface area. Canada+2Canada+2
Health Canada also clarifies that grow surface area includes horizontally and vertically arranged surfaces, and includes all indoor and outdoor cultivation areas used at any single time. Canada

That single change affects everything in this article, including site selection, layout, scaling strategy, and how you present your site evidence.

Step 1: Select the right land and zoning

Start with zoning and municipal feasibility before you fall in love with a property.

Industrial and light industrial land is often the most straightforward path for indoor cannabis because it is typically aligned with commercial building use, loading access, utilities, and security planning.

Agricultural land can work in some jurisdictions, but it commonly adds complexity, for example:

• zoning and permitted use questions

• servicing limitations

• site access and setbacks

• soil and environmental considerations if you are building near existing agricultural activity

The key is not just “can you build,” it is “can you operate a compliant site with a clean workflow.”

A micro site may still need space for:

• secure entry and controlled access flow

• sanitation and staff support areas

• storage, waste handling, and shipping receiving

• mechanical and fertigation areas

• post harvest workflow

Because the micro threshold is now much higher, total building footprint varies widely. Many serious micro builds land well above the older 6,000 to 8,000 sq ft rule of thumb, depending on how much canopy you build and how professional you want operations to feel.

Step 2: Choose your licence path before you design

Before you design anything, confirm what you are applying for.

Health Canada’s licensing overview breaks down how to apply for cultivation, processing, and sale for medical purposes, and the steps are not identical for every licence type. Canada+1

Common combinations include:

• micro cultivation only

• micro cultivation plus micro processing

• micro cultivation plus nursery

• micro cultivation plus sale for medical purposes, depending on your business model

This decision impacts:

• room list and floor plan

• security scope

• SOP scope

• equipment planning

• site evidence content

Step 3: Plan your facility around compliance and performance

Design is where most applications succeed or struggle.

For micro cultivation, you are designing around grow surface area, not just room sizes. You also need a clear method to demonstrate that your site stays within the micro threshold and that your grow surface area is properly delineated, which is reflected in the Cannabis Regulations. Department of Justice Canada

At this stage you lock in:

• flow of people, product, and waste

• separation of clean and dirty activities

• environmental control strategy and mechanical sizing

• irrigation and fertigation architecture

• lighting plan and canopy strategy

• security design and access control logic

• post harvest capacity that matches your harvest rhythm

If you design the rooms but do not design the workflow, you end up with a facility that looks correct and operates painfully.

Step 4: Build the facility and prepare your evidence

Health Canada wants to see a completed, functional site for most applicants. Health Canada’s overview notes that you submit both documentation through CTLS and, where required, a site evidence package. Canada+1

Build priorities that consistently reduce delays:

• keep layout exactly aligned to the submitted drawings

• install security and access control early, not at the end

• label rooms and zones clearly

• finish surfaces and cleanability properly, especially in production areas

• complete commissioning checks, HVAC performance, irrigation function, alarms, locks, cameras, recordkeeping readiness

Your site evidence should show the facility is complete and operates as described. Health Canada’s process pages highlight the importance of having your application complete and responding to information requests promptly. Canada+1

Step 5: Submit through CTLS and move into active review

Applications are submitted through the Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System, CTLS. Canada+1

After you submit, Health Canada’s “after submitting” guidance states a service standard of 80 business days (16 weeks) from the date your application is in active review, after screening, until a decision is made. Canada
That service standard does not include time spent waiting for you to respond to information requests. Canada

In the real world, total timelines vary. The fastest way to protect your schedule is:

• submit a clean, complete package

• ensure your site evidence matches your drawings and descriptions

• respond quickly and clearly to any requests

Quick reality check for 2026

If you remember nothing else, remember this:

• micro cultivation is now up to 800 m² grow surface area Canada+1

• grow surface area includes vertical and horizontal surfaces, and includes all cultivation areas used at one time Canada

• Health Canada’s decision service standard is tied to active review, not day one of your project Canada