Cannabis is a highly psychoactive plant that has been taboo in Canada for so long.  Canadian lawmakers kept the public far from the benefits of this miraculous substance because of merely one property.  It’s totally right if we regard the history of Cannabis legalization in Canada as a journey of prohibition and bans.  Possession or selling of Cannabis has been a criminal act, and no reforms were considered before 2002.

However, Cannabis started making its deserved place in the Senate.  All the evidence in favor of Cannabis left authorities with no option other than considering the legalization of Cannabis in Canada.  It took place in 2018 when Cannabis was included under Controlled Substances.  Let’s look at the Cannabis laws in Canada and how the evidence has been shaping the conversation around Cannabis recently. 

Cannabis laws in Canada:

The Canadian Cannabis act formulated all the laws keeping three goals under consideration that are:

• Keep Cannabis away from youth
• Protect public health
• Stop criminals from gaining profits

Thus, as of October 7, 2018, it is now legal for adults aged 18 years or older to:

• Possess up to 30 grams of Cannabis
• Buy the Cannabis oil and fresh or dried Cannabis from a licensed dealer that may be either online or in physical stores.
• Grow up to 4 cannabis plants per residence for personal use.
• Process raw Cannabis or Cannabis oil into Cannabis edibles at home.

Later on, the selling of Cannabis edibles and concentrates became legal in October 2019.

Possession Limits: Possession limits were set for dried Cannabis, and the equivalents were developed from these for other products.  The legal possession limit is 150 grams of Fresh Cannabis per person aged 18 years or older. 

Protecting Youth:  The law protected youth from access to Cannabis by setting age restrictions and prohibiting the advertisement of Cannabis products. 

The law further clarified that people will face penalties for violating these laws.  The penalties may include three years in jail or up to a $5 million fine. 

Public Education: 

The Canadian Government gave out a budget of $46 million for the next five years for public education and awareness.  That’s how they inform Canadians regarding the health risks of Cannabis.

Medical Consumption:

For now, Cannabis can be accessed by people authorized by their healthcare provider to consume medical Cannabis.

Strict Regulations:

Law strictly regulates Cannabis consumption, and federal, provincial, and territorial governments have taken this responsibility of overseeing Cannabis regulation.  It includes:

• Strict requirement for manufacturing and growing of Cannabis
• Industrial rules that include types of Cannabis, packaging, labeling, warnings on the label, tracking requirements, etc. 

Provinces are responsible for maintaining and enforcing systems to observe the sale and distribution of Cannabis closely.  Provinces might take further preventive measures, i.e., increasing the minimum age limit, lowering possession limit, etc. 

Ensure that you know local Cannabis laws in Canada to avoid any inconvenience.

Furthermore, criminal penalties were made a part of the law to reduce illegal activities.

What is the Future of Canadian Cannabis Law? 

The evidence is slowly shaping the conversation around the legalization of recreational Cannabis as well.  It is expected that the House of Representatives will vote on the Federal Cannabis legalization bill in the coming week.  It is clear as the dawn that Cannabis is unstoppable and will make way to every home in the future.

fhttps://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/laws-regulations.html