Just a few years ago, buying medical marijuana online may have sounded like an unlikely novelty. But nowadays, ordering cannabis and cannabis products online is perfectly legal for age-appropriate users in Canada, whether for medical or recreational use.
But how exactly does buying marijuana online work? Who can sell these products online, and how can stores verify the buyer’s age? Keep reading for a deep dive into Canadian cannabis laws and the logistics of shopping online.
Product Selection
With the second wave of Canada’s cannabis legalization process at the end of 2019, many marijuana products became legal and accessible to consumers. Colloquially referred to as Cannabis 2.0, the law made products like cannabis vaporizers, edibles, beverages, and topicals available at licensed dispensaries and their online counterparts.
Slowly but steadily, these products made their way onto the retailer shelves available to the adult public. Currently, marijuana products ranging from infused water to chocolate bars, vape pens, cookies, cannabis-infused tea, and more are readily available.
The best thing about online dispensaries is that you can order your weed from the comforts of your home and get it delivered right to your doorstep. You might even be able to order marijuana products your local dispensary doesn’t carry. Plus, you can sometimes mix and match bud types in your order so you can try out new strains.
Legal Limits
According to the Cannabis Act, adults can legally buy, use, grow, and possess, recreational cannabis in Canada. Nevertheless, the cultivation laws and the legal age vary from province to province. For instance, the minimum legal age all across Canada is 19, except in Alberta and Quebec, where it’s 18. There’s also a limit on growing four plants per household in all provinces except Quebec and Manitoba.
A cannabis user of legal age in any province can possess up to 30 grams (dried or the non-dried equivalent) when in public. However, home possession laws vary by province. For example, in British Columbia, you can keep up to 1,000 grams of cannabis stored at home.
Similarly, Canadian provinces have their own laws regarding where you can legally use marijuana. For example, in Nova Scotia and British Columbia, it’s banned in cars, around children, and everywhere else where tobacco smoking isn’t allowed. In Nova Scotia, you may have to pay a fine of up to $2,000 if you break this law.
How To Purchase Online
You can mail order weed online in CA from all provinces and territories, either through private retailers or the province’s single authorized online seller.
The process is similar to that of buying any other commodity online. You create an account on the retailer’s website, buy the cannabis product of your choice using your credit card, and have it delivered discreetly to your door.
Nevertheless, there are differences across the country concerning age limits and retail models. Whether you buy cannabis online or from your local dispensary, you will have to provide proof of age. The Canada Post has delivery employees trained to verify a buyer’s age upon delivery. Once you complete the online age verification, you can make your purchase through a secure website that uses SSL encryption.
The retailer often processes your order immediately. The seller then carefully wraps your order of cannabis and sends it through postal mail to your house. Usually, the shipments arrive within a few days, but this can vary between retailers.
What To Expect
As previously mentioned, buying marijuana online is much like buying any other product online. But, if you are worried about mail ordering marijuana and receiving your weed in a poorly-packed state, you can put your worries to rest.
Health Canada—the federal department responsible for overseeing the packaging and labeling of cannabis products under the Cannabis Act—has put forward strict guidelines that licensed retailers must follow. Regulations include securely packaging marijuana in a vacuum-sealed bag.
Health Canada also puts forward labeling requirements. The package must contain a standardized cannabis symbol, health warning messages, and THC and CBD content information.
Experiencing a Quality High
Enjoying a cannabis high depends on obtaining a high-quality product—no pun intended. In Canada, the government licensing of online retailers makes finding trustworthy products simple and straightforward. If you’re of legal age in Canada and you’ve never purchased cannabis online before, it’s high time to give it a try—pun intended.
