Following its release of the full text for the new Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) yesterday, Health Canada also posted direction for police on how the regulations impact them.
The information for law enforcement state that any individual who possesses or produces dried or fresh cannabis, cannabis oil or plants or seeds is required to comply with any police request to prove they are authorized to do so.
The information to authorities state that, if a patients buys from a licensed cannabis producer, showing police the label on the packaging or documents included in the product’s shipping container is enough to demonstrate lawful possession.
Medical patients growing their own cannabis, or a grower designated by a patients, can prove they’re legally entitled to do so by showing police the registration certificate issued by Health Canada. Designated growers are also given a separate document to prove they are able to possess and produce cannabis.
Health Canada advises police that medical patients are given a registration certificate that can be used to determine the maximum amount of cannabis they are entitled to possess at any given time.
Police are told that regardless of what system a patient uses, they are capped at the amount of cannabis that can be found in their possession and it is the responsibility of the patient to ensure they are always within the allowed limit.
The maximum amount listed for possession is 30 times the patient’s daily, health care provider recommended, dosage or 150 grams of dried cannabis, which ever amount is less.
Medical patients are not permitted to let others use their cannabis, or to import or export any cannabis or seeds.
Patients are permitted to transport their cannabis between locations if a patient has officially amended the location of their production or storage site with Health Canada.
The government advises police that some patients are still authorized to possess cannabis under the previous Marihuana Medical Access Regulations, under a federal court injunction.
Health Canada is providing a 24 hour, 7 day a week service to law enforcement agencies to answer questions on ACMPR registrations, as well as to “support the activities of law enforcement officers.”