Canada is set to become the second nation in the world to legalize recreational marijuana. The deadline for this implementation is July 1, 2018 and it is going to have huge implications for cannabis legalization across the globe. It will be interesting to observe how its neighbor, the USA, reacts to the legalization in terms of marijuana immigrants and also in relation to its own stance on marijuana as class A drug. But this is not to say that Canada is 100% tolerant of marijuana of all kinds. Being a medical marijuana patient, even with all of the appropriate paperwork, is no easy task. Decades of stigma and marijuana oppression might take some time to overcome.
Medical Marijuana Difficulties
One medical marijuana patient from Ontario has recently described her time as a medical marijuana patient. Peggy Kennedy has been a medical marijuana patient since 2015 in order to deal with chronic pain after a tractor accident in the 1990’s. But depending on what airport she is traveling to or from, she may be treated as a fugitive as just a patient with medication. Peggy Kennedy travels with the maximum amount allowed, a total of 150 grams, in oils, balms and dried flowers, along with her prescription. In Toronto Pearson Airport, she was searched, detained and even threatened with a bench warrant if all of the paperwork was not in order. Obviouslyit was, however there is no real need for such over the top measures.
One of her complaints (along with being threatened and detained) is that the rules change constantly in the different counties and it is next to impossible to keep up with them all. And even when you do, it is still possible to be detained as in Toronto Pearson Airport. This complaint is even more valid in the USA, where there are different rules and procedures between states and then again between counties. Every local county has its own set of rules and regulations with regard to how cannabis can be grown, distributed and sold. And then there is a different set of rules for both medical and recreational marijuana. On top of this there is the fact that marijuana is still an illegal drug at the federal level. And new rules are emerging, old rules are being dropped off and some rules are changing on a state and county level. As Peggy Kennedy says:
“I can’t not travel with it and make life easier, I have to travel with it”
Medical Marijuana Transit Rules
As the deadline for the legalization of recreational marijuana looms, there is still much uncertainty among Canada’s medical marijuana patients, who are fast growing in number. There are nownearly 200,000 medical marijuana patients in Canada. The current legal situation in Canada is that medical marijuana patients are allowed to pack marijuana in their carry-on bags and checked luggage, but will still be asked to provide documentation. If police are in the airport then they will be asked to verify the documentation. The type of documentation needed depends on the patient and his or her condition. The rules and regulations governing the transportation of marijuana on airlines is managed by The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA). They do not specify on their website how much marijuana is permitted to be taken aboard the air craft. They also say it should be an easy process one the medical marijuana patient alerts the authorities. According to CATSA’s Matthieu LaRoche:
“Let the screening officers know you’re travelling with medical marijuana They’ll alert local police at the airport and validate the passenger’s documents and they’ll be able to continue to the gate.”
Unfortunately, in terms of international travel there is little that can be done. There are no rules and procedures in place for Canadian patients who wish to take marijuana with them on holiday. And they could face fines or imprisonment if they do in countries where their documentation is not recognized, which is every country aside from Canada. There have been many incidents involving Canadian medical marijuana patients who have been detained and banned from the USA, while they were traveling to states such as Washington where recreational marijuana is actually legal. The option here is to simply travel without your medical marijuana and obtain recreational marijuana at the point of destination. And never admit to border patrol officers that you have used recreational marijuana even in a state where it is legal. As ridiculous as this sounds, Canadians have been deported for this admission. Marijuana is an illegal drug according to all federal authorities and representatives.
Keep Quiet
It is worth asking if it is all worth it. If marijuana was simply legal without all the rules for different people, then there would be no more fuss. Prohibiting one type of marijuana for one type of people and permitting another type is going to leave a lot of people scratching their heads. It is certainly making life very difficult for Peggy Kennedy, who needs it to manage her pain. The best advice is simply to put it in the checked luggage and say nothing. Alerting authorities will simply cause difficulties and if your bags do get checked, which is highly unlikely, you have all the appropriate documentation. Just make sure to carry documentation with you and everything will be ok. Peggy Kennedy may have been a special case, and 150 grams of marijuana is a huge amount which is going to raise a few eyebrows.
