The Long-Bladed Weapon Control Amendment Act
Chamber
manitoba
Stage
Introduced
Manitoba's bill expands its knife control law to also regulate the sale of pepper spray, including by online and secondary sellers.
Key Changes
- Pepper spray (with 0.6% or more capsaicin) is now regulated under the same law as long-bladed weapons
- Online retailers are now explicitly covered by the Act and must verify buyer age before and at delivery
- Secondary sellers (garage sales, flea markets, online classifieds, social media) are now prohibited from selling to minors
- All sellers — retail, online, and secondary — are banned from selling long-bladed weapons or pepper spray to anyone under 18
- Retailers must record buyer information including name, address, date of birth, item type, and date of sale
- The title of the Act is changed to 'The Long-Bladed Weapon and Pepper Spray Control Act' to reflect the broader scope
Gotchas
- Religious items worn for religious purposes and not intended as weapons are explicitly excluded from the definition of long-bladed weapons — this exemption does not appear to extend to pepper spray
- Secondary sellers (private individuals) are subject to the no-sales-to-minors rule, but the record-keeping requirements apply only to 'retailers' — it is unclear if secondary sellers must keep sales records unless regulations specify otherwise
- The specific age-verification methods online retailers must use are left to future regulations, meaning the practical requirements are not yet defined in the bill itself
- The Act comes into force only when proclaimed by the government, so there is no fixed start date
- The concentration threshold for pepper spray (0.6% capsaicin or capsaicinoids) means some milder products may not be covered, while bear spray or stronger products could fall under federal law separately
Who's Affected
- Retailers selling knives or pepper spray in Manitoba
- Online retailers and third-party sellers on online platforms
- Private individuals reselling items at garage sales, flea markets, or through online classifieds
- Manitobans under 18 who would be prohibited from purchasing these items
- Buyers who must now show photo ID to purchase these items in person or at delivery
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- Religious items worn for religious purposes and not intended as weapons are explicitly excluded from the definition of long-bladed weapons — this exemption does not appear to extend to pepper spray
- Secondary sellers (private individuals) are subject to the no-sales-to-minors rule, but the record-keeping requirements apply only to 'retailers' — it is unclear if secondary sellers must keep sales records unless regulations specify otherwise
- The specific age-verification methods online retailers must use are left to future regulations, meaning the practical requirements are not yet defined in the bill itself
- The Act comes into force only when proclaimed by the government, so there is no fixed start date
- The concentration threshold for pepper spray (0.6% capsaicin or capsaicinoids) means some milder products may not be covered, while bear spray or stronger products could fall under federal law separately
Summary
This Manitoba bill updates the existing Long-Bladed Weapon Control Act to also cover pepper spray — products containing 0.6% or more capsaicin or capsaicinoids. The law already had rules about selling knives and similar weapons; now those same rules apply to pepper spray too. The bill also brings online retailers and 'secondary sellers' (like people at garage sales, flea markets, or online classifieds) under the law for the first time. Under the updated rules, no one — whether a store, an online shop, or a private person selling at a garage sale — can sell a long-bladed weapon or pepper spray to anyone under 18. In-person sellers must check government-issued photo ID showing the buyer's date of birth before completing a sale. Online retailers must use approved methods to confirm the buyer is 18 or older, and must ensure delivery requires ID verification as well. Retailers are also required to keep records of each sale, including the buyer's name, address, date of birth (for in-person sales), the item sold, and the date of the sale. The bill was introduced to close gaps in the existing law, particularly around online sales and informal resellers, and to bring pepper spray under the same oversight as bladed weapons.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses