Is CBD oil LEGAL in Canada?
We Explain How CBD Oil Is Now Legal in Canada
With the passing of C45 legalizing pot in Canada, we’ve entered an exciting new time that marks the end of prohibition after 95 years. But, a lot has changed over the past decade or two. One of the more exciting developments is the popularity of high-CBD strains. Even as recently as 10 years ago, strains that were bred to be high in CBD were incredibly rare. There just wasn’t much demand for it. Now, it seems like we’re in the midst of an all-out CBD revolution. Everybody from professional athletes to soccer moms to students are getting onboard. Folks are using it to treat a variety of illness and ailments, and we’re only just now seeing properly-supported research being carried out to learn more.
One of the most popular ways to take CBD is through the use of CBD oil. So now that cannabis is
legal, does that mean CBD oil is legal too? Well… sort of. The whole thing can be a bit confusing, so we’ll help set the record straight.
Part of the confusion is about the terminology. Technically speaking, CBD oil is taken orally, (with a dropper, for example.) If you’re going to vape CBD, you’re technically vaping CBD liquid. But the two items are both typically referred to as CBD oil interchangeably, which causes some of the confusion.
If you live in Ontario and take a look at the Ontario Cannabis Store website, you’ll indeed see products labelled as CBD oil. These are CBD oral oil, and cannot be vaped. This is a legal product. What you won’t see, however, are any vapable CBD liquids or CBD vape cartridges. That’s because technically, these are still illegal.
When C45 was passed, it only legalized a select few types of products. Primarily dried flower, and oral oil, although you’ll see some capsules and oral sprays as well. Vapable extracts and cartridges that are popular in most cannabis markets were not legalized. The plan, according to the government, was to come out with regulations for further cannabis products (like CBD vape liquid, extracts, edibles, etc) within 1 year of the enacting of C45, which would be December 17, 2019. At that point, in theory, vapable CBD products will be legal and begin to be available in legal the market.
If you purchase CBD vape juice from a dispensary or online, technically, this product is illegal. The reality is that it doesn’t really matter. Nobody is getting prosecuted or arrested for simple possession of CBD vape juice. So, what’s our recommendation? Get your CBD vape juice or cartridges from your favourite online cannabis dispensary, just like you were doing before. And, if you’re thinking of going legit and ordering oral CBD oil from the Ontario Cannabis Store, do yourself a favour and google “Ontario cannabis store reviews” first. Trust us, you’ll want to avoid it at all costs.
If you’re the adventurous type, you could consider making your own CBD extracts from legally purchased high-CBD dried flower. Using a solvent like butane or propane to make shatter or budder would be illegal, as it’s still very much illegal to use those solvents for extracts, but making a solvent-less extract like CBD bubble hash is possible. It just seems like a lot of work!
Last Updated on March 20, 2023 by Bud
