Cannabis Exclusion In Home Insurance Policies May Not Be Effective When Tenants' Grow-Op Causes Loss

Despite the efforts of insurers to exclude coverage in habitational insurance policies for losses caused by cannabis cultivation or production, a recent Alberta case serves as a reminder that coverage may, nevertheless, apply where an insured's tenant's grow-op causes a loss.1 This is due to the existence of so-called "innocent insured" provisions in the Insurance Acts of Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba.

Background

Home insurance policies have traditionally excluded coverage for losses caused by illegal activities. Many have also specifically excluded coverage for losses arising from illegal drug activity. With the Cannabis Act having come into force on October 17, 2018, Canadians may now legally cultivate up to four cannabis plants at a time in their dwelling-house.2 As such, some insurers have amended their policies to exclude losses caused by growing cannabis, regardless of its legality.

However, insurers in Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba may still be at risk of cannabis-caused losses even with broad exclusions on the growing or production of cannabis in a dwelling.

The innocent insured provisions

The innocent insured provisions protect insureds who are not responsible for or complicit in intentional acts that cause damage. Specifically, exclusions barring coverage for losses caused by a criminal or intentional act or omission are of no effect vis- à-vis an insured person who does not:

Cause the loss; Abet or collude in causing the loss; and Consent to the act or omission while knowing—or having ought to have known—that the act or omission would cause the loss. The innocent insured provisions of the three provinces are all identical.3 British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba brought their provisions into force in 2011, 2012 and 2014, respectively. Their enactment was a response to the Supreme Court of Canada's (SCC) decision in Scott v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co. [Scott].4 In Scott, the majority of the SCC held that, upon the insured plaintiff's son intentionally setting fire to the plaintiff's house, coverage was not available to the plaintiff, as the policy excluded coverage for loss caused by a criminal or wilful act of the insured.5

Recent cases

While the innocent insured provisions have received relatively little judicial consideration, the recent 2019 Alberta case of Lafferty v. Co-Operators General Insurance Co. [Lafferty] should serve as a reminder that an insurer in Alberta, British Columbia or Manitoba could be...