Cannabis Legalization 101 – What You Need To Know

UP TO DATE FOR JUNE

 

With cannabis legalization  just around the corner, everyone is wondering how they will be affected and what they can expect going forward when it comes to purchasing their goods.

Here, we break it down for you question by question on all the topics you’re most curious about. Although some policies regarding cannabis will be the same country-wide, individual provinces will have  a lot of freedom over certain areas that will affect people differently depending on where they reside.

See below for a province by province breakdown of the most important differences that you need to know about.

 

 

Where are we now?

The Senate has approved Bill C-45, now it goes back to the House of Commons (HOC) where members of parliament (MP’s) will accept, reject, or modify amendments made by the Senate. The amendments concern topics such as if provinces can ban home grows, or if cannabis companies can brand items like t-shirts or other promotional merchandise.

If all are accepted, royal assent is then needed (which could take a few days or a few weeks.) If not, it goes back to the Senate and then back again to HOC until all amendments are approved. Ideally this will happen by July 1st, however it could take longer.

 

Where are we going?

Once royal assent is attained, cannabis will officially be legal in Canada.

As for actually buying legal cannabis, it will most likely take at least 8 -12 weeks after official legalization to be available in stores, as provinces will need time to prepare for retail sales. This means that late summer – early fall would be the earliest that legal weed would be available to buy in-store. However, this could easily be longer too.

 

Where will I be able to purchase legal cannabis?

Each province will be slightly different – some will allow weed to be sold only in new government stores, other provinces it will be sold in only private shops, and some will allow sales in both government and private locales.

For now, online sales of cannabis is restricted legally to government sale only except for the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, which will allow private online sales. However, all of this could change as provinces get used to the reality of the cannabis markets, including things such as consumer needs and wants, which will most certainly call for new amendments to be made as time goes on.

 

What products will I be able to buy?

At the moment, only flower, oil, and seeds. It will take at least another year before products such as edible and topicals will be made legal and available.

*Note – the cannabis available will be provided by large-scale, government producers only, making the overall quality of flower decidedly lower than the small-scale, craft cannabis that supplies many current dispensaries and MOMS, such as HGA.

 

Who can buy it?

Anyone over the legal drinking age in their respective province. The only exception being Manitoba, where the legal age for cannabis consumption will be 19. The federal legal limit is 18 years of age, so no province can go below this.

 

Where can I smoke it?

This depends on the province. Some provinces are allowing public toking, similar to areas where you can smoke tobacco. Other provinces have limited usage to private residences only. See below to find out where your province stands

 

How much can I have?

The federal limit is up to 30 grams. You will also be able to grow up to four plants per household, however certain provinces such as Manitoba and Quebec may end up restricting this.

 

What are we doing?

HGA will still be committed to providing our customers with the highest quality meds and the highest level of service. We are closely following legalization policies, and have no plans to go anywhere.

 

Final thoughts

Legalization will be a good thing for Canada – it’s about time that the stigma was removed from consuming cannabis. As most providers and users know, weed is a fantastic medicine with amazing potential that has yet to be discovered. With legalization, the science and medicine industries will finally be able to conduct studies proving the many benefits of cannabis and also potentially discover many more.

Though it has and will continue to be a messy ride, we have faith that as time goes by the cannabis market will become a safer place for all, lead by a community that has been working towards this milestone for decades. All of us in the cannabis community are dedicated to continuing to supply customers with the best quality, craft cannabis and we will continue to work hard to ensure the government makes room for all of us.

 

Province Breakdown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Political_map_of_Canada.png

British Columbia

Where to buy – Government stores and private dispensaries

Where to smoke – Anywhere you can smoke tobacco except for cars/workplace and places children may be present, such as beaches and parks

 

Alberta

Where to buy – Government stores and private dispensaries

Where to smoke – Anywhere you can smoke tobacco, except cars

 

Saskatchewan

Where to buy – Private dispensaries

Where to smoke – Private residences only

 

Manitoba

Where to buy – Private dispensaries

Where to smoke – Private residences only

 

Ontario

Where to buy – Government stores

Where to smoke – Private residences only

 

Quebec

Where to buy – Government stores

Where to smoke – TBD – probably some public areas allowed, but not on university or CEGEP campuses

 

 

New Brunswick

Where to buy – Government stores

Where to smoke – Private residences only; you will also be required to lock your weed up when not using (this may be revised)

 

Nova Scotia

Where to buy – Government stores

Where to smoke – Anywhere you can smoke tobacco, except cars

 

Prince Edward Island

Where to buy – Government stores

Where to smoke – Private residences only

 

Newfoundland & Labrador

Where to buy – Government stores and private dispensaries

Where to smoke – Private residences only

 

Yukon Territory

Where to buy – Government stores

Where to smoke – Private residences only

 

North West Territories

Where to buy – Government stores and private dispensaries

Where to smoke – Private residences but also trails, roads, and parks when not in use for public events

 

Nunavut Territory

Yet to release legislation – however only online sales expected

 

 

Keep up to date with these great resources on legalization in Canada:

Legalization and Regulation of Cannabis – Canada.ca

Marijuana Legalization – globalnews.ca

Cannabis Act- Questions & Answers

By Riley M.