It’s a fantastic time to be a user of cannabis – whether you use it recreationally or medicinally – in New Brunswick as we approach the end of 2018. As of October 18, 2018, cannabis has finally been legalized all across the nation.
The laws regarding purchasing recreational cannabis vary province by province, although they do remain fairly similar across the board.
For reference purposes, the laws concerning legal cannabis in New Brunswick are as follows:
- In order to purchase, cultivate, possess, or consume cannabis you must be 19 years of age or older
- You are not allowed to consume cannabis in public places
- The only authorized legal retailer of recreational cannabis is Cannabis NB
- You are allowed to carry a maximum of 30 grams of dried cannabis at one time when outside of your home
- You may cultivate up to four of your own plants at your home
- Driving while impaired by cannabis or alcohol remains illegal, and it is illegal to take cannabis across international borders, even if you’re traveling to a country where cannabis is also legal
Even though it’s now perfectly legal to stroll into a Cannabis NB location to purchase your own supply of cannabis, many individuals still prefer to go through their family physician to secure a prescription for medicinal cannabis.
There are many reasons why an individual may prefer to go this route. The good news is that so long as you have been diagnosed with a condition that cannabis is known to treat within the last five years, your odds of getting a legitimate prescription are quite high.
All you’ll have to do is visit your physician and discuss with them that you feel using medicinal marijuana could be beneficial for helping you to cope with your chronic symptoms and/or condition. If all goes well, your physician should write you a prescription and you can be on your way to an authorized medical dispensary.
On the other hand, if your doctor doesn’t agree to writing you a prescription, you still have some options. There are numerous medical dispensaries located throughout the province that have their own in-house doctors who are obviously cannabis-friendly. Simply request copies of your medical diagnosis from your family physician and take them with you to see one of these in-house doctors and that should be enough to do the trick.
Once you do have your prescription in hand, simply sign up as a patient with the medical marijuana dispensary of choice and voila! You’re now able to purchase up to 30 days’ worth of cannabis or 150 grams – whichever of the two amounts is less.
Ways to Consume Medicinal Marijuana
If you’re one of the many people out there who has never tried cannabis recreationally, you may be wondering what the best way to consume it is once you’ve acquired your medicinal marijuana prescription.
Here are a few brief descriptions of the three main ways that medicinal cannabis is commonly consumed in order to give you an idea as to what options are available to you.
Smoking
Whether you choose to roll a traditional joint, use a pipe, or even a bong, smoking cannabis remains the delivery method of choice for many. Simply apply a flame to your dried cannabis until it combusts and then inhale the smoke into your lungs. This method usually results in instantaneous relief, although it can be harmful to your lungs over the long term.
Vaping
Considering the harmful effects that smoking marijuana can have on your lungs, many people instead opt to vaporize their medicine as a healthier alternative. To use a vaporizer, simply preheat it to the manufacturer’s recommended temperature setting and then insert your cannabis.
Press the button to heat the cannabis enough to release its medicinal compounds -- but not enough to cause combustion. This method works just as quickly as smoking does, but it’s far less harmful to your lungs and produces less of an odor as well.
Edibles
The preferred method of cannabis consumption for individuals who would prefer not to inhale anything into their lungs is edibles. In this day and age, users are pretty much only limited by their imagination when it comes to what types of edibles you can enjoy.
You can find everything from classic brownies and gummy bears to hard candies, popcorn, and even ice cream. Just keep in mind that consuming edibles can take a longer time frame for the medicinal effects to kick in. It’s best to wait an hour or two before eating any more than your initial dose – you definitely don’t want to over-indulge with edibles.
