The law regarding cannabis products in Canada may be confusing, how ever they are not impossible to understand.

In this article I wish to inform of the current* (see date*), laws for cannabis related products, the sale and possessions of cannabis related products.

After reading into the laws regarding cannabis related products in Canada, I will try to explain the laws in an easy to understand format.

  • 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;

    • 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 are able to 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.
     

    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:

    • 5 grams of fresh cannabis
    • 15 grams of edible product
    • 70 grams of liquid product
    • 0.25 grams of concentrates (solid or liquid)
    • 1 cannabis plant seed

    with all this meaning 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 maybe charged with either of the following 2 criminal offences related to providing cannabis to youth, with maximum penalties 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 an safety of the consumer of cannabis related products. In the near future 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 each play apart 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 own 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 in 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 offenses and charges;

Offence:
Possession Over the Limit
Charge:
Anywhere from a ticket all the way to 5 years jail.

 

Offence:
Illegal sales
Charge:

From a small ticket to 14 years in jail.

Offence:
Excess cultivation beyond personal use/limits
Charge:
Minor ticket to 14 years jail
 
Offence:
Growing with organic solvents
Charge:
Up to 14 years jail

Offence:
Transport of cannabis across Canada borders
Charge:
Up to 14 years jail

Offence:
Selling to an underage peseron (18 years)
Charge:
Up to 14 years jail

Offence:
Using youth to commit a cannabis related offence
Charge:
Up to 14 years jail

ALL INFORMATION WAS SOURCED FROM BUT NOT EXACT TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE!
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cannabis/