Canada Is Set To Legalize Recreational Cannabis By July 2018

To give you some background on what is happening, Canada has set a deadline to completely legalize Cannabis for recreational use nationwide. The deadline is July 2018. This change in cannabis legislation will be historic, as it requires Canada to withdraw from two different UN Drug Treaties. The law states it will be for adult use of recreational cannabis and the legal age will be 18 years old.

The biggest reason this upcoming law change is so important is because it encompasses the whole country and legalizes cannabis for every province in Canada, not just one or a couple of them. Having this massive reform can set a precedent for other countries around the globe, like the US, and hopefully will lead to a more unified legalization process.

Right now, the US is legalizing state by state, and all this does is complicate and slow things down. Having a unified legal system for cannabis use and sales is much more effective and efficient and is a system the US needs to adopt soon!

Home Grows

There has been a lot of controversy over how to set the new laws for growing cannabis at home for personal use, but they have finally been settled on. First, people will be limited to growing only four cannabis plants at a time when growing at home, and there will be no legal limit on the size you grow each individual plant.

What this means is since four plants is such a small amount to grow at one time, growers will instead cultivate massive tree for much higher yields.

There will also be no legal limit on the amount of cannabis one person can possess in their home, meaning people are allowed to stock up however they please.

"As it becomes more easily integrated into our society, the negative stigma around cannabis will slowly disappear."

You are also allowed to give away your cannabis to other adults, for free of course, and the limit on that is 30 grams of bud per friend at one time. You will also have the option of growing outside in your backyard if you prefer that to indoor growing.

In addition, with the new legalization, the Canadian government plans to deter cops from seeking out cannabis-related incidents so they can focus on more important issues.

Smoking Paraphernalia

Right now in Canada it is completely illegal to sell any sort of cannabis-related paraphernalia. This includes bongs, pipes, grinders, rolling papers, and any sort of concentrate related products.

In the US, it is common to see these types of products being sold in a "head shop" as they can claim it is for "Tobacco Use Only." In Canada, this isn’t the case and the rules are much more strict, so people are forced to other means for getting their glass!

Luckily, with the new changes that will be enacted come July 2018, all smoking paraphernalia will become legal to sell. The only rule is that these items cannot be marketed towards minors.

While this law change isn’t critical in the legalization of cannabis, it is critical in the elimination of that taboo idea centered around cannabis users. As it becomes more easily integrated into our society, the negative stigma around cannabis will slowly disappear.

Cannabis Extraction

If you are a grower who enjoys making your own extracts at home, then this law change is especially great for you.

With the reform, people will not only be allowed to grow cannabis at home, but they can also turn that product into any form of an extract they please.

The only caveat is they cannot use any sort of organic solvents or explosive materials when producing the extract.

This is great as it opens up the market for extraction companies in Canada, and it makes it so home growers can make their own extracts as well. This is also important for medical patients who cannot smoke and can only take cannabis in the form of tinctures, edibles or vape.

Right now in the US, studies are showing that a good amount of the bud and extracts sold in dispensaries are contaminated with some sort of pesticide or chemical, which is of course not healthy to use.

The reason behind this issue is as the industry grows, the cannabis farms must grow as well and in turn they have to adopt Big Ag practices, which include pesticide use and other harmful chemicals.

That is why so many people are moving to homegrown cannabis and homemade extractions is because it gives them full control over exactly what goes into your plants.

When the legalization passes in Canada, the same issue will arise with the commercial farms, which I believe will again lead to an increase in homegrown cannabis.

What’s Next?

While we are waiting for July 2018 to near, the Canadian government still has some important decisions to make in regards to the legalization of cannabis nationwide.

First, they have yet to set up any tax laws or regulations for the sale of Cannabis. This is one of the most important steps in the entire process and must be handled ASAP or else serious issues can arise once legalization has passed.

While the laws haven’t been enacted yet, right now tons of companies and startups are gearing up for the legalization so they can jump on the opportunity.

That is why having all these laws and taxes figured out ahead of time is so important, as any big changes can really affect the success of these companies and in turn the industry as a whole.

It is also a good time to start preparing for your home cannabis grow if you plan on having one once the laws have passed. During these next nine months, you can start learning exactly how the cannabis plant grows and how you can grow it at home properly.

Getting familiar with the process now will only make things easier on you and your plants once you start growing. Also, you can begin to get supplies together and set up your grow space as the date nears.