Supreme Court Date Set for Weed Growers

The British Columbia federal court challenge of the new national laws preventing medicinal marijuana users from growing their own weed will be heard at the Supreme Court of Canada in February 2015.

Health Canada’s new rules on medical marijuana, which came into effect on Apr. 1, require patients to obtain marijuana from official licensed suppliers. Under the previous regulations users could grow weed themselves or designate someone else to grow it.

But this aspect of the new rules are now on hold following a federal court challenge by four British Columbia residents. On Mar. 21, federal Judge Michael Manson granted an injunction to medical marijuana users across Canada who held permits to grow plants under the previous regime. The injunction will stay in place until the Supreme Court of Canada decision. That three-week long court case, which begins Feb. 23, 2015, will rule on the personal production of marijuana and the production through designated growers.

Meanwhile, all private growers who hold a valid Authorization to Possess, a Designated-person Production License or a Personal-use Production License as of Sept. 30, 2013 can temporarily continue to grow their own marijuana.

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