CASL Email and SMS Checklist for Cannabis Businesses
A two-layer checklist for cannabis email and SMS: CASL consent and messaging requirements plus cannabis-promotion review.
Canadian commercial email and SMS generally require valid consent, sender identification, contact information, and a working unsubscribe mechanism. Cannabis businesses must also ensure that the message content complies with cannabis-promotion rules.
Key takeaways
- Consent must be valid and provable.
- Commercial messages need identification and contact information.
- Unsubscribe must be simple, functional, and processed on time.
- CASL compliance does not authorize prohibited cannabis claims.
Determine whether the message is commercial
Document the purpose of the email or SMS, sender, recipient source, promoted product or service, and requested action.
A newsletter can still contain a commercial electronic message when it promotes a product, offer, service, or business opportunity.
Prove consent
Record whether consent is express or implied, how it was obtained, the date, the wording shown, and any applicable expiry.
Do not rely on a purchased list or an address in a database without understanding the consent basis. The sender bears the burden of proving consent.
Include the required sender information
Identify the sender and any person on whose behalf the message is sent when required. Provide accessible contact information.
Keep templates and sender records consistent across email platforms, SMS providers, agencies, and affiliates.
Make unsubscribe easy
CRTC guidance requires a working unsubscribe mechanism that is readily performed. Requests must be processed without delay and no later than the applicable deadline.
Test unsubscribe links and STOP replies before every major campaign. Keep suppression lists synchronized so a removed contact is not re-imported.
Run a second cannabis-promotion review
Consent does not make a youth-oriented, health-claim, lifestyle, testimonial, inducement, or otherwise prohibited cannabis message acceptable.
Review the message, linked page, offer, audience, age controls, and provincial context as one campaign.
Sources and methodology
This article prioritizes current primary sources and separates confirmed policy from interpretation. Source links were reviewed on June 22, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three core CASL requirements?
Consent, sender identification/contact information, and a working unsubscribe mechanism.
How long must an unsubscribe link remain valid?
CRTC guidance says at least 60 days after the message is sent.
How quickly must an unsubscribe request be processed?
CRTC guidance says without delay and no later than 10 business days.
Does CASL replace Cannabis Act review?
No. Both sets of obligations may apply.
This article provides marketing information, not legal or medical advice. Verify current platform policies and applicable federal, provincial, and local requirements before acting.
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