Thousands of Canadians have taken action in order to receive licenses to possess, use, and even grow medical marijuana from home. This number continues to grow by the day, and a huge reason for this is that the government’s medical marijuana program (called the ACMPR – Canada’s ACMPR license to grow) gives patients easier access to the medical treatment they need for better overall well-being.
Aside from easy access to medical-grade cannabis products, there are many more benefits to becoming an ACMPR member. Cheaper medical treatment, more control over cannabis strains, less risk of getting in trouble with the law… these are just a few of the perks that come along with a license.
So now the most important question is: Are you eligible?
Even though a lot of people are applying for a license, not everyone is eligible. This complete guide will help you to determine whether you are or not.
Canadian Residency/Citizenship
The first eligibility requirement is that you ordinarily live in Canada. This makes sense since this is a federal Canadian program, so visitors to the country or Canadians who spend most of their time elsewhere aren’t eligible. All you have to do to show that you meet this requirement is show proof of address within Canada.
You Must Have a Medical Reason
This is a medical marijuana program, so having a medical condition is the second major requirement for applying to the ACMPR. All that you have to do to show proof of this is to send in a prescription for medical marijuana along with your application (it needs to be a valid, original medical document, not a copy or old prescription).
This prescription can be filled out by either a doctor or nurse practitioner, and the ease of getting an RX depends on the clinic and medical professional you visit. Some doctors are still very unwilling to prescribe marijuana to their patients, while others have no problem with it at all.
Services like www.cannabisgrowingcanada.com/ work to pair patients up with compassionate medical professionals, making this part of the process much easier. The other good news is that you might not even need to leave the house for your appointment.
Many doctors are now seeing their patients online via Zoom, WhatsApp, and Skype sessions, then mailing the prescriptions out to their patients. Depending on the doctor, the entire appointment from start to finish could only take 10-15 minutes.
Age Limitations
Obviously a 12-year-old can’t apply to grow marijuana plants from home; you have to be at least 18 years old to apply. Unlike the recreational cannabis age limitations, the ACMPR has just one age limitation for the entire country.
Recreational laws are put in place by the provincial governments, so it varies between 18 and 19 depending on the province. But with ACMPR medical weed, it’s always 18, no matter if you live in Quebec, BC, Ontario, or Alberta.
Criminal Background Information
If you’ve had any major issues with the law, especially marijuana-related offenses, there’s a good chance you’re not eligible. The government eligibility page states that in order to be eligible, you must attest that you have not been convicted of a cannabis-related offense.
If the offense was something very minor that happened decades ago, there’s a chance that the government will overlook it (and also a very good chance that it’s not even on your record anymore). But if it was a major offense that happened recently, you’ll have to get your weed the old-school way by visiting a local dispensary.
No Duplicate Registrations
This might seem like an obvious one, but you’re not eligible for the ACMPR if you’re already a registered member. Some patients try to increase their plant counts by applying twice and getting two licenses, but the government is way smarter than that. You can only hold one license at a time.
That said, you do need to apply for a new license every year in order to renew and keep your registration form active. After your first application, the process goes a lot smoother since applicants know what they’re dealing with.
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