Is Weed Legal In Canada?

Weed is not yet fully legal in Canada.  However, under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), weed is legal for medical purposes.  This means that individuals with a wide range of health conditions including chronic pain, fibromyalgia, cancer, glaucoma, anxiety, insomnia, and eating disorders, among other conditions, can get a prescription from a health care provider and obtain medical marijuana legally.

Patients will obtain a medical document from their health care provider that includes the physician’s information as well as the patient name and date of birth.  This document also outlines the period of use (e.g. 1 year) and daily quantity of weed in grams (e.g. 2 grams/day).

The ACMPR sets out guidelines for the legal distribution of marijuana.  It establishes Licensed Commercial Producers who are regulated by Health Canada and undergo rigorous quality and safety testing.  Only licensed producers are legally allowed to dispense marijuana to those with a medical document.  Weed can be legally purchased in a variety of forms, including dried or fresh cannabis, cannabis oil, and edibles.  The ACMPR also allows individuals to grow their own marijuana plants for personal medical use.

Weed has not yet been legalized for recreational use and is considered a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act.  It is against the law to possess, distribute, or grow marijuana without permission from Health Canada. You may have noticed that many dispensaries across Canada have been shut down recently.  These dispensaries are unlicensed sellers and are not legally licensed by Health Canada to dispense marijuana.

The Liberal government has promised to introduce legislation in the spring of 2017 that would begin the process of legalizing marijuana for recreational use.  It is unclear how long it will take for new legislation to come into effect, but some experts have estimated anywhere from six months to one year before weed is totally legal for recreational purposes.