Legislation to allow Manitobans 19 and older to grow their own recreational cannabis isn’t expected to kick in until the new year despite being passed in June.
“We expect the bill to come into force in early 2025,” Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said in an email Wednesday.
“The (Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority) is drafting regulations to ensure the framework for growing cannabis at home prioritizes public safety, with a focus on protecting youth and ensuring cannabis plants are not accessible to young people,” the minister said.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe: “We expect the bill to come into force in early 2025.”
The regulations will ensure that seeds and starting material are purchased from licensed retailers, said LGCA spokesperson Lisa Hansen.
The regulations will underpin Bill 34, the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Amendment Act, which repeals the prohibition on homegrown cannabis to allow for up to four plants per residence.
The authority has consulted with law enforcement, cannabis industry groups, business associations and First Nation organizations, said Hansen.
It expects to post its board-approved regulations online at the end of the year for 45 days to garner public feedback. Once they’re finalized and take effect, Manitobans can start legally growing their own cannabis.
“I would hope it would be before 4/20,” said advocate Steven Stairs, referring to April 20, cannabis culture’s high holiday. “That would be awesome and great timing — everyone gets a nice growing season in,” said the chairman of the Cannabis Business Association of Manitoba that has weighed in on the regulations. “But, realistically, it could be June before it gets going.”
Until then, unless a person has authorization from Health Canada, it is a violation under the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act to grow cannabis at home. The pre-set fine for growing non-medical cannabis at home is $2,542 — the same as the fine for supplying cannabis to people under 19.
Manitoba and Quebec are the only two provinces that still have a ban on growing pot at home for recreational use.
Stairs said Manitoba can draw on the experience of other provinces, which he outlined in his submission to the regulator.
Many require that seeds and other starting material be purchased from a local, approved source, said Stairs, who suggested a “Buy Manitoba” incentive program for consumers, producers and retailers.
The legislation may bring a small, but much-needed boost to the cannabis industry, he said. It could give retailers an opportunity to have a wider selection of products to appeal to a broader market, and draw customers away from illicit cannabis because they’re able to grow their own, Stairs said.
Regulations that are overbearing or complicated will push consumers away from the legal market, he said.
Manitobans have responsibly made their own beer and wine at home, and growing up to four cannabis plants doesn’t pose any more of a risk to anyone, including minors, said Stairs.
“I have hosted a child’s birthday party, family functions and other events and no one, including children, have had any issues surrounding public safety with my cannabis grow,” said Stairs, who is licensed to grow his own medical cannabis. “It is all about responsibility.”
Cannabis that’s growing in a pot isn’t a danger, his submission to the authority said.
“Smoking it would not be an option at this point, as it is too wet to burn. So ingesting the plant is the only risk factor. I don’t know if you have ever tried to get a child to eat their vegetables but it is not easy — especially when the veggies taste bitter, smell like skunk and are sticky like glue.”
In British Columbia, plants cannot be grown in a space that is visible from a public place, like parks, streets, sidewalks, sports fields, and K-12 school properties. Plants can be grown on a balcony or in a yard, as long as they’re not visible from a public place.
B.C. bans growing cannabis in homes used as licensed child-care centres. Landlords in B.C. can further restrict or prohibit growing non-medical cannabis on their property. Local and Indigenous governments can further restrict growing non-medical cannabis at home under their powers to establish bylaws.
After advocating for loosening restrictions on cannabis for nearly a decade, Stairs doesn’t expect Manitoba to rush.
“This consultation regarding homegrown and lifting the ban is a huge step forward to progressive cannabis legislation changes in Manitoba, and it’s something we never got with the PCs,” he said Wednesday.
“I do see the NDP taking a more progressive approach than the PCs ever did, I just don’t know how fast it will happen.”
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol.
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