Canada Weed Law
The law regarding cannabis products in Canada may be confusing, however, they are not impossible to understand.
In this article, I wish to inform you of the current* (see date*), laws for cannabis-related products, and the sale and possession of cannabis-related products.
After reading about the laws regarding cannabis-related products in Canada, I will try to explain the laws in an easy-to-understand format.
- 5 grams of the cannabis
- 15 grams of edible product
- 70 grams of liquid product
- 0.25 grams of concentrates (solid or liquid)
- 1 cannabis plant seed
- possess up to 30 grams of legal cannabis, dried or equivalent in non-dried form in public
- share up to 30 grams of legal cannabis with other adults
- buy dried or fresh cannabis and cannabis oil from a provincially-licensed retailer
- in provinces and territories without a regulated retail framework, individuals can purchase cannabis online from federally-licensed producers
- grow, from licensed seed or seedlings, up to 4 cannabis plants per residence for personal use
- make cannabis products, such as food and drinks, at home as long as organic solvents are not used to create concentrated products
Since 17/9/2019, cannabis edible products and concentrates are legal for sale.
What is legal as of October 17 2018
As long as you are of legal age in Canada (18) you are allowed to do the following;
Possession limits for cannabis products
The possession limits in the Cannabis Act are based on dried cannabis. Equivalents were developed for other cannabis products to identify what their possession limit would be.
One (1) gram of dried cannabis is equal to:
With all this means any adult (18) can legally possess 150 grams of fresh cannabis. (please check your local laws)
DO NOT SELL TO UNDERAGE PERSONS
It is highly illegal to sell to persons under the age of eighteen (18). You may be charged with either of the following 2 criminal offences related to providing cannabis to youth, with a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail:
- giving or selling cannabis to youth
- using a youth to commit a cannabis-related offence.
Protecting the Health of the People
There are strict laws and regulations regarding to the health and safety of the consumer of cannabis-related products. Shortly, people will begin to see a rise in public education efforts to raise awareness about safety measures and any potential health risks.
Still Strict
Every part of the country and government plays a part in enforcing and regulating any cannabis-related product.
The Federal government’s responsibilities are as follows:
- strict requirements for producers who grow and manufacture cannabis
- industry-wide rules and standards, including:
- types of cannabis products available for sale
- packaging and labelling requirements for products
- standardized serving sizes and potency
- prohibitions on the use of certain ingredients
- good production practices
- tracking requirements of cannabis from seed to sale to keep it out of the illegal market
- restrictions on promotional activities
Provinces and territories are responsible for developing, implementing, maintaining and enforcing systems to oversee the distribution and sale of cannabis. They are also able to enforce their safety measures, such as:
- increasing the minimum age in their province or territory
- lowering the personal possession limit in their jurisdiction
- creating additional rules for growing cannabis at home, such as lowering the number of plants per residence
- restricting where adults can consume cannabis, such as in public or vehicles
Keeping the Crime Down
Statistics Canada reports that in 2017, there were almost 48,000 cannabis-related drug offences reported to authorities. A lot of these were simply possession offences.
However, a criminal record resulting from a cannabis offence can have serious consequences for the person charged.
In allowing the production and possession of legal cannabis for adults, the Act helps keep Canadians who consume cannabis out of the criminal justice system, reducing the burden on everybody.
The Criminal penalties
For those who are breaking the law in Canada regarding Cannabis, there are harsh repercussions. The worse the offence, the harsher the consequences.
The charges range from a simple warning or a ticket to serious jail time, with even harsher sentences dealt to those who supply any cannabis products to minors.
The following is a rough guide to offences and charges;
Offence: Possession Over the Limit
Charge: Anywhere from a ticket to 5 years in jail.
Charge: Minor ticket to 14 years in jail
Offence: Transport of cannabis across Canadian borders
Charge: Up to 14 years in jail
Offence: Selling to an underage person (18 years)
Charge: Up to 14 years in jail
Offence: Using youth to commit a cannabis-related offence
Charge: Up to 14 years in jail
NOT LEGAL ADVICE. ALL INFORMATION WAS SOURCED FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE:
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cannabis/