Medicinal Marijuana in Manitoba

At the moment, recreational smokers are restricted to smoking in private residences – and even then, there are still several landlords who forbid it on their properties.

Medicinal marijuana on the other hand can be smoked or vaped in outdoor public places, provided you’re sparking up at least 8 meters away from any building that has public access.

That’s just one of the many great reasons that can make looking into a medicinal marijuana prescription worth your while.

Acquiring a Medicinal Marijuana Prescription in Manitoba

Patients looking to get a prescription for cannabis in Manitoba must follow the same procedures as every other province in the country.

Thanks to the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), formerly known as the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR), patients have been able to access medicinal marijuana for legitimate needs since 1999.

Here are the steps you’ll need to check off in order to get a prescription:

1. You’ll first need to have a diagnosis for a legitimate medical condition that can be treated with cannabis within the past five years.
2. Your family physician (or a doctor at a walk-in clinic that you frequent) can either write your prescription for you, or refer you to a specialized clinic with in-house cannabis-friendly doctors who can write you a prescription.
3. With prescription in hand, you can then head to the nearest medical marijuana dispensary in your region in order to register as a patient with them.
4. Once you’re registered as a patient, you can freely purchase medicinal marijuana. Government regulations allow medicinal marijuana patients to purchase the lesser of either a 30 day supply or 150 grams of cannabis.

Medicinal Marijuana vs. Recreational Marijuana

We mentioned earlier about being able to smoke outdoors in public spaces being one of the great benefits that medicinal marijuana users have when compared with individuals who are purchasing their cannabis for recreational purposes.

Another great point was briefly mentioned above as well when describing the process of acquiring cannabis for medical reasons. Medicinal marijuana users are able to purchase either a one month supply or 150 grams at one time – whichever amount ends up being less.

Compare that with the maximum amount that recreational smokers are allowed to purchase at one time – 30 grams, or just over one ounce.

As you can see, medicinal users are afforded quite a bit more flexibility when it comes to the amount they can purchase at once.

One of the other main benefits that medicinal marijuana used to have over recreational cannabis is the fact that it’s strictly regulated. Medicinal users could trust that they were purchasing high-quality cannabis that had been tested for safety. However, ever since legalization took effect on October 18, 2018 all across Canada, both options available for legal purchase are now strictly regulated and perfectly safe.

Perhaps our favorite perk to medicinal marijuana is the fact that by working with a physician, most patients are able to come up with a treatment plan that is tailored to meet their specific needs. It may require a bit of initial trial and error but eventually you should be set with just the right strain in just the right amounts that you need.

Compare that to recreational stores where despite the fact that their staff have been trained to answer certain questions, it can be hit or miss if they have a really solid grasp of product knowledge in order to make personalized recommendations.

However, recreational cannabis does indeed have one big benefit over medicinal marijuana and that is the ease of acquiring it. As per Manitoba laws, when it comes to recreational marijuana:

• You must be 19 years of age or older to purchase it
• You are allowed to purchase from authorized and licensed retailers only
• You are allowed a maximum of 30 grams at one time

While there are certain restrictions (no smoking in public, no growing your own plants, and no operating a motor vehicle while under the influence), it’s far easier to walk into a retail location to make a purchase than it is to go through the process of acquiring a legal prescription.

In the end, whether you decide to pursue a medicinal prescription or simply indulge in recreational cannabis use will depend on which of the factors we discussed above are most important to you and your unique needs.