8 Mar

Is CBD Oil Legal in Canada for Minors?

8:11 am
No Comments

Why CBD is Becoming Popular in Canada

Since the last couple of years, we have seen a sudden spike in the newly found CBD industry as more and more countries keep loosening their restrictions on the extraction, processing, and sale of CBD. Canada is no exception.

However, although Canada was just the second country to offer a legal market for CBD, the CBD market here is among the most strictly regulated ones at the same time.

The cultivation of cannabis, extraction of CBD, its processing, sale, and shipping are all done under comparatively strict regulations by the authorities. Before we jump to the more sensitive issue of using CBD for kids, let us first understand how the cannabis is regulated in Canada.

How CBD is Regulated in Canada? The Things You Need to Know

Let us first understand the ground facts about the way CBD is regulated in Canada. Here are some key points that you need to know about the hemp and marijuana legality in Canada;

CBD, whether derived from hemp or marijuana, is regulated under the Cannabis Act of Canada.
In the year 2018, the Cannabis Act legalized CBD in Canada irrespective of its source. An amendment made to this act in 2019 expanded the legality to include the cannabis edible products as well.
However, only the licensed personals can grow cannabis, extract CBD, process, and sell it. The mechanism through which the licenses are granted is relatively strict and requires the applicants to go through rigorous legal steps along with a huge license fee.
According to the law, an adult above 18 years of age can possess not more than 30 grams of legal cannabis at public places.
An adult can share not more than 30grms of cannabis with other adults.
Provinces allow only the licensed retailers to sell cannabis oil.
The federal government allows people to purchase cannabis online as well from some licensed sellers.
You are allowed to grow not more than 4 cannabis plants in your residence for personal use and those too must come from licensed seeds and seedlings.
Cannabis for medical use can be obtained from registered sellers only on the prescription of a doctor. It cannot be bought over the counter from any other store.
Provincial governments can totally prohibit the use of cannabis at some public places if they deem suitable in their area on jurisdiction.

Is CBD Oil Legal in Canada for Minors?

From what you’ve read above about the regulation of cannabis in Canada, you would’ve guessed how difficult it would be to obtain CBD oil for kids in Canada. When it comes, to kids and CBD, the Canadian cannabis law is particularly strict. The main aim is to keep the youth away from cannabis as much as possible.

In order to fully address the question ‘can kids take CBD oil in Canada’, let us have look at some of the important legal restrictions.

It is legally prohibited for any licensed CBD provider to sell CBD to anyone below the age of 18.
If anyone sells cannabis to minors, or uses a minor in a cannabis related offense, there is a penalty for that. The person can go to jail for maximum term of 14 years.

Moreover, the Cannabis law also discourages the sale of cannabis to youth in many other ways. E.g,

The cannabis cannot be sold through such self-service procedures as vending machines and others.
The sellers cannot label the cannabis products in a way that it allures the youth.
The sellers and producers are also not supposed to promote their cannabis products except where the youth cannot see the promotions.
If any of these restrictions are violated, the person can be fined for a maximum of $5 million or he can go to jail for 3 years.
Interestingly, the law allows the provincial governments to increase the minimum age requirements for purchasing cannabis, but it does not allow them to lower it.
Similarly, the provincial governments can also decrease the minimum quantity of cannabis to be legally kept by a person within certain territory.

The minimum number of plants ne can grow for their personal use in a residence can also be decreased by a provincial government.

Is CBD Oil Safe for Children?

While talking about the CBD for kids in general, the Canadian laws and regulations, and even the public awareness campaigns generally discourage it. However, when it comes to using the medical marijuana for kids, the laws are comparatively less strict. In Canada, you can obtain medical marijuana for kids from a licensed provider if a qualified medical practitioner prescribes it.

A Complete Guide on CBD for Anxiety
cbd packaging store

The things have especially changed a bit after the FDA approved the use of CBD for treating a form of epilepsy in kids and infants. At the moment, however, Epidiolex is the only medicine approved by FDA for kids. Keeping aside the question of legality of CBD oil legal in Canada, the efficacy of CBD for treating various ailments in kids is also debatable.

Irrespective of what is being globally established by various researchers, the Canadian researchers themselves do not seem quite convinced that CBD is effective or even safe for kids. For example, Michael J Rieder from the Canadian Pediatric Society believes that CBD can not only be ineffective in treating various ailments in kids, but it can even be unsafe. i.e. it can produce certain unwanted side effects.

The Recent Trends in Canada Regarding the Use of Medical Cannabis or Kids

Although, the researches so far about the efficacy of CBD for various pediatric conditions are in their initial stages, the trends among the masses are rapidly changing.

The Canadian parents today are comparatively keener to get their kids prescribed with medical cannabis. This perhaps has to do with the changing global trends, especially after the approval of medical cannabis by FDA to be used for some forms of epilepsy in kids.

However, whether or not the researches support the efficacy of CBD for treating certain conditions in kids, the masses in general seem to be curious and willing to opt for it.

Difference Between CBD and Hemp
cbd packaging store

However, the researches show that the pediatricians in Canada are mostly reluctant to prescribe CBD for kids because they believe it may (or may not) damage the brain development in young kids. But despite the inconclusive research, there is an increasing pressure on the pediatricians to prescribe medical cannabis for kids.

A Final Round Up

In a nutshell, the CBD in Canada can be sold only by authorized sellers and there are some strict restrictions on who can carry cannabis and how much of it can be kept. The laws in Canada restrict the use of CBD for kids in general. It imposes serious penalties on those who sell cannabis to minors. However, when it comes to the medical marijuana, the authorized doctors can prescribe it to kids and then it can be bought from licensed retailers.