Introducing the ACMPR Canada New Cannabis Regulations

Introducing the ACMPR – Canada's New Cannabis Regulations

The ACMPR officially goes into effect today in Canada which makes changes to the old MMPR. What does this mean for the citizens of Canada? Canadian citizens with a medical card now have access to growing their own cannabis. Per every gram prescribed to be used by a medical card holder each day, they are allowed to grow up to five indoor plants or two outdoor plants. This means if the doctor recommended the patient 3 grams per day, they could cultivate 15 plants indoors or 6 outdoors. Plants are not allowed to be grown near child care facilities, schools, playgrounds, or public areas that are frequented by children. It is recommended that all grows be locked and secured as well. Cannabis products that are being cured are to be locked in child-proof containers according to recommendations from Health Canada.

Patients are also able to take on another unique aspect and choose a designated cannabis grower to cultivate their medication. This law is making many people happy because on average, 5 indoor growing hydroponic plants can produce over 50 ounces of herb. This gives medical marijuana patients in Canada a new outlook on growing medicine. They’re also able to augment their supply of cannabis by supplementing orders from online dispensaries throughout Canada such as Weedism or Bud Xpress.

One of the conditions, in order to become a designated grower for someone, is to not have any felony drug convictions on your record in the past 10 years. The list of qualifying conditions to receive cannabis patient status in Canada ranges from PTSD and nausea to vomiting and cancer-related pain.

One of the major problems facing Canadians who are looking to utilize cannabis as an alternative treatment to dangerous and deadly pharmaceutical prescription drugs, is a shortage of medicinal supplies from state licensed vendors. There are said to be 34 licensed cannabis dispensaries across Canada. According to the ACMPR, all starting product must be purchased from one of these licensed facilities in the form of seeds or clones. The problem many patients face is simply running out of medicine which could be detrimental to their regimen.

Patients who suffer from cancer, leukemia, epilepsy, and other dangerous life-threatening illnesses cannot afford to go days or weeks without their medicine. Cannabis truly does work. It’s not like being without pharmaceuticals from the doctor for a week. Medical marijuana patients in Canada are having to turn to the dispensaries, which the government says are operating illegally, in order to receive the medications they so desperately need. The problem is Canada already has countless marijuana dispensaries that are set up and serving the people successfully.

The people have even spoken and it’s very clear that they want dispensaries. The Canadian government, however, has a different plan that includes strict regulations and iPad-like stores. This also brings up the issue of cost eEffectiveness. The low-income population of Canadians across the country falls short of being able to afford access to medical cannabis. This is a group that is making sure this problem gets the necessary attention that it needs to become solved.

Many patients that are working with licensed government facilities have run into the issue of them not having a consistent supply. This has not been an issue with dispensaries. In fact, many times if a patient cannot find their medicine through a licensed entity, they will find it at a dispensary. It is also not uncommon for dispensaries to provide free medical cannabis to patients who can not afford it. This cannot be said about governments anywhere. The new ACMPR is definitely an improvement and a step in the right direction but Canada still has a long ways to go before they truly implement a program that will work well for the people.

Illegal Grow Ops in Humboldt Being Targeted for Environmental Harm

Illegal Grow Ops in Humboldt Being Targeted for Environmental Harm

We recently released an article about how marijuana arrests are still a significant thing in the state of California. Despite medical marijuana being legal since 1996 and a very lenient regulation system surrounding it, it is not stopping the state or the national forest service from spending money to crack down on marijuana grows. Humboldt County has long been known for the delectable cannabis grown on its land and still to this day it is estimated that over 25% of the local economy stems from marijuana.
USA Today recently rode along with a team hired to go air bound and locate illegal cannabis grows in the area, many of which are located deep inside unpopulated parts of national forests. Many of the illegal grows that they are targeting are causing detrimental harm to the environment through deforestation and dumping fertilizer rich waste into rivers. Unfortunately, the large amounts of unpopulated areas in Humboldt county is a mecca for cultivators.
Due to the very lax and highly unregulated “legal” market in the state, it is hard for law enforcement to truly be able to target illegal grows thus they are starting to utilize environmental laws rather than criminal laws surrounding cannabis to come down on these harmful operations. A lot of the operations that are found in violation of environmental laws are illegal operations with plans to distribute cannabis illegally out of state rather than legally to the California medical marijuana industry.
This is a downside to the fact that prohibition is still highly in effect across the nation. If the prohibition of cannabis were to be eradicated like it should be, people could simply grow at home and essentially over a short period of time it would force out the mass majority of the black market. If people did not have to grow in fear, chances are their methods of cultivation would leave little to no harmful footprint on the environment.
The majority of the grows being targeted in California currently are all about money and they have had a significant negative impact on small family farms that have been thriving in the area for decades which are passionate about the land as well as the art of cultivating high-quality medicine. The Humboldt County government would like to see any illegal growers currently in the area transition into the legal market, however, they know that not all of the cultivators on their land want to thus the continued efforts to flush them out before they do more damage to the environment.
images: usatoday