Canada isn’t going to pot yet. But pot is coming to Canada very soon. At least, in a legal sense.
We have a warning and time to prepare for this new reality, and contrary to what you might think, there is a lot of preparation behind the scenes to get the entire country ready forthe idea of recreational use of marijuana.
We have been going through a series of blogs to start 2018, where we try to cover as many of the common questions that arise as Canada prepares to legalize cannabis and various products. In this blog we will take a look at the Cannabis Act provisions regarding personal cultivation of cannabis and having medical or medicinal uses for cannabis.
Cannabis Cultivation
Come July 1, Canada citizens or residents will be able to start cultivating cannabis plants on their own property. The Cannabis Act in Canada will allow for households to plant, grow and cultivate up to four cannabis plants at one time on a personal property (either inside or outside). The limit is four plants per household, regardless of the number of adults living in that household.
The federal legislation allows for households to buy cultivation materials from retailers licensed by a province or territory, or from a federally licensed producer if the retailer is not an option in your area. The federal law does not put any restrictions on the height of the plants that are on your personal property.
However, there is nothing in the legislation that prevents the provinces and territories from imposing their own restrictions on cultivation and plant heights or locations. Therefore, it is important to not only understand the details of the federal legislation, but to also keep up on the more local regulations and rules put forth in your province or territory where you live.
You should note that adults cannot transfer or designate cultivation to someone else, unless there is a special authorization from a health professional that determines that cannabis can be used for medical purposes.
About those Medical Purposes …
There is a current cannabis use system for medical or medicinal purposes. That will not necessarily change in the transition process toward July 1, but this will eventually be folded into the new reality of cannabis use. The current system, which allows patients of medical professionals to get authorized access to cannabis for medical purposes.
A task force has recommended that access to medical cannabis remain monitored by the government during this traditional period, and the expectation is to keep the current framework in place for those who need medical cannabis, at least for the next five years, at which time the government will evaluate and adjust to ensure that cannabis is made medically available to as many Canadians as possible.
Next week: Discussion about how the youth of Canada will be protected from cannabis with this new reality, and we’ll look into the responsibilities that territories and provinces with enforcing and executing the provisions in the Cannabis Act.
Medical Cannabis