How Bill C-51 Affects You

The TCM industry is at stake. Without the variety of herbs available to practitioners, the effectiveness of TCM would be greatly undermined, and thus, eventually eroding public confidence in TCM.
Bill C-51 will affect you in many aspects whether you are a TCM herb merchant, a TCM doctor or practitioner, or a consumer.

• You as a TCM herb merchant
• You may require market authorizations which can only be granted if the Minister is of the opinion that the person has established that the benefits of the therapeutic product outweigh the risks. (Section 18.7)
• Your license may be suspended by the Minister at any time. (Section 19.6(2))
• You will require clinical trial authorizations as clinical trials are needed for therapeutic products. (Section 18.2-5)
• Your property is subject to Health Canada inspector search without warrant. (Section 23.4)
• Your property may be stored indefinitely without paying you for damages. (Section 23.2(d))
• Your property may be confiscated at their discretion, at your cost. (Section 23.3(a))
• You may no longer have the right to challenge/defend your dispute with Health Canada in court.
• You are subject to very heavy penalty, $5 million and/or 2 years of imprisonment per offence. (Section 31.1)
• Your confidential business information may be disclosed without your consent. (Section 21.1)

• You as a TCM doctor or practitioner
• You may have the right of prescription, granted by the provincial government; however, the medicine and herbal products are controlled by Bill C-51.
• You may be prosecuted for prescribing herbs that are not authorized. (Section 12.1)
• Your clinic is subject to Health Canada search without warrant. (Section 23.4)
• You are subject to very heavy penalty, $5 million and/or 2 years of imprisonment per offence, if in possession of “illegal product.” (Section 31.1)
• You may no longer have the right to challenge/defend your dispute with Health Canada in court.
• Your personal information may be disclosed without your consent. (Section 20.9)

• You as a TCM consumer
• You might be prosecuted if you distribute illegal herbs to your family and friends. “Distributing” herbs with therapeutic properties might be illegal and would be prosecuted, even to friends or relatives if the herbs are not authorized. (Section 12.1)
• You may pay more for common tonic herbs. Common tonic herbs such as DangGuai, Astragalus will become very costly or might not be available.
• You may not able to access to TCM products. Experts estimate more than 70% of natural health products, including multi-ingredients, such traditional Chinese medicine, in the market would become illegal.