Recreational vs. Medical Cannabis in Canada. What’s the difference?
In Canada there are two ways to legally purchase cannabis if you are 19 years of age or older:
First, you can purchase Canadian cannabis products on a site like ours if you have been provided the proper medical document by a healthcare practitioner.
Having the peace of mind of having consulted with a medical professional about using cannabis for your symptoms is invaluable and you will learn a lot.
You can easily and quickly set up an online consultation and receive the necessary document you need to buy cannabis products on our site.
If you are approved by a health professional to purchase and use cannabis, you may be covered by your health insurance provider. Check out our review of the top health insurance providers in Canada to see if your insurance company covers medical cannabis.
Canadian veterans are reimbursed for their medical cannabis purchases through Veterans Affairs Canada. Vets are eligible to receive reimbursement for up to 3 grams of cannabis per day (or the equivalent in cannabis oil and/or edibles. )
Your medical cannabis purchase is also considered a healthcare purchase and is eligible as a tax deduction under the rules set out by Revenue Canada. People with low income and high costs of medical expenses may also be eligible for tax credits under Revenue Canada’s Refundable Medical Expense Supplement.
According to the tax company TurboTax:
“Like your other medical expenses, you can claim for any period of 12 months, not previous claimed, provided the final month falls within the tax year. For 2019, you can claim your total eligible medical expenses, less $2,352 (or 3% or your net income, whichever is less).”
Another commonly overlooked benefit of medical cannabis is the monthly legal dried flower equivalency possession amount. In the recreational market an individual is only legally allowed to have 30 grams of cannabis or its dried flower equivalent ie oils and edibles; In the medical cannabis market you are legally allowed to possess up to 150 grams of cannabis or its dried flower equivalent per month. Having possession higher than these amounts is a criminal offence even though cannabis is legal. Tantus Health Co helps ensure you are compliant with your medical cannabis needs.
As a Canadian government approved and licensed cannabis vendor, Tantus Health Co can help you get your medical cannabis document, and sell you cannabis products shipped directly to your door, anywhere in Canada.
The second way you can legally purchase cannabis in Canada is for recreational use through your province’s government-owned and regulated distribution system. So for instance, in BC you can legally purchase cannabis products through the BC Cannabis Store.
While medical cannabis comes with the guidance that only your healthcare team can provide, and potential tax savings and health insurance coverage, cannabis purchased for recreational use does not.