Egzoset; I can understand your pessimism because not every province/territory has equal priveleges.
Quebec - 1 licensed producer for 8.25 million people
- 150 gram private possession limit
- no personal cultivation allowed
- consumption restricted to private property (owned mostly unless landlords allow otherwise)
Manitoba - 2 licensed producers for 1.3 million people
- unlimited private possession limit
- no personal cultivation allowed
- consumption locations not yet specified
Alberta - 6 licensed producers for 4.2 million people
- unlimited private possession limit
- personal cultivation allowed
- consumption allowed anywhere cigarette smoking is allowed, even in pubic, although buffer restrictions of 10 meters from certain things (bus stops, doorway
entrances of certain buildings, etc
But federally, everyone is allowed personal cultivation. The provinces/territories are to blame for it being disallowed. Specifically, the federal government insisted on
personal cultivation being allowed and constipation in the Senate was feared if the Senate insisted on guaranteeing the provinces/territories the right to ban. The federal government has indicated that they will support the expected challenges. And, like Allard, expect this to go all the way to the Supreme court.
Yes, we're still stigmatized 'in the name of the children'. And religious institutions. We're still stigmatized as dope smokers, despite the fact that a lot of us do not smoke. We're looked at as second class citizens. Lot's more needs to be changed all over the country. We still have to be worried about the potential loss of a job for private off job consumption of Cannabis
Here is what we have won; the right not to have my skull bashed in by some neanderthalic law enforcement officer for carrying weed in public or smoking it on private property, the right to purchase Cannabis of known purity/strength in stores or through mail order (stupid, stupid, stupid). There are probably more winnings, but that is all my pessimism allows at the moment.
Me, I don't have to worry about losing my job; I can't work any more. I'm lucky. And, unless I register with Health Canada, I can not grow Cannabis to offset a reduced disability income. But I can travel anywhere within Canada w/120 grams and know that should I lose my prescription I can purchase locally w/o fear.
Maybe I was overoptimistic in saying that the war is over, but ITNOC is in fear and time will show that people like Lucie Charlebois and Brian Pallister are dinosaurs (they died out). Bill C-45 is a meteorite which starts the process. Everyone born after October 17 will come into a Canada that iss a little better than today (weed wise, at least). And no, there isn't amnesty - yet. That is still a prize dangled out in front of us.
The bill C-45 got royal assent (wrong, wrong, wrong - I thought Canada was an independent country) this afternoon. It is reality. I will fly a Cannabis flag on July 1rst.
Tom