Is Marijuana Legal in Canada?

Reefer is slowly but surely gaining acceptance on a global scale, and it's pretty clear that America is dragging its feet when it comes to legalization. Many people are starting to do marijuana tourism as a way to enjoy the herb while abroad.

Places like the Netherlands and certain parts of South America have made marijuana legal — and they've seen tourism boom as a result of it. Many people are beginning to look at our neighbors up North in hopes that they may find legal green there.

So, is marijuana legal in Canada? We decided to take a look at the facts.

Is marijuana legal in Canada? Well, surprisingly, yes.

Canada was actually one of the first countries to legalize marijuana. However, there's a bit of a catch in this statement that many pot heads may find disappointing.

In 2001, marijuana was made legal for medicinal purposes only. In other words, medical marijuana is legal in Canada, but recreational marijuana isn't. This made it the first country to legalize medical marijuana, however, it's not the first country to legalize recreational marijuana.

There are also certain circumstances in place that can make possession and growth legal or illegal.

When is marijuana legal in Canada?

If you have a prescription for medical marijuana, you can now grow and use marijuana per your prescription. The maximum amount of plants you can grow in a single household is five outdoor plants or two indoor plants.

Technically, dispensaries are illegal in Canada. However, that is basically a blue law at this point; people buy from them all the time, and police are aware of it.

You can smoke as much as you want, apparently — as long as it's for medical purposes.

Justin Trudeau recently introduced a bill that would legalize marijuana for all uses by 2018.

The question of, "Is marijuana illegal?" may get an easier, more broad answer soon enough. Trudeau wants to make the herb, its growth, and its sale totally legal — even for recreational purposes. Should this bill pass, and it's expected to pass, marijuana will be 100 percent legal in Canada.

So yes, marijuana is legal in Canada for medical purposes right now. And, by 2018, we're probably going to see our neighbor up North become a fully legalized nation.