Changes on homegrown pot rules don't go far enough, says Manitoban who challenged prohibition

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 25, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

More than six years aft cannabis was legalized successful Canada, Manitoba is astir to let residents to grow their ain marijuana astatine location — but a cannabis advocator who challenged the province's erstwhile prohibition says the changes don't spell acold enough.

Starting May 1, Manitobans implicit the property of 19 volition beryllium allowed to turn up to 4 cannabis plants — the maximum allowed nether the national Cannabis Act — in their home, arsenic agelong arsenic they're indoors and not accessible to anyone nether 19.

Jesse Lavoie founded the cannabis advocacy organization TobaGrown, which took Manitoba to tribunal implicit its erstwhile rules successful 2020.

He argues adjacent nether the relaxed rules, the prohibition connected outdoor increasing feeds antagonistic stereotypes associated with cannabis. 

"When you're lone allowed to turn successful a locked country determination successful your location and you're not allowed to bring those plants outside, that's inactive keeping the taboo [alive]," Lavoie said.

The national authorities acceptable up rules for location cultivation erstwhile cannabis usage became ineligible successful 2018, but gave the provinces and territories the authorization to acceptable further restrictions.

Manitoba's previous Progressive Conservative banned increasing cannabis astatine home, making Manitoba and Quebec the lone provinces to bash so.

TobaGrown's tribunal situation argued the national Cannabis Act gives idiosyncratic provinces the accidental to enforce restrictions, but not an outright ban.

That situation was dropped when Manitoba's NDP government, elected successful 2023, passed an amendment last June to let homegrown cannabis.

But Lavoie said helium present plans to proceed his ineligible conflict with a caller suit against the state implicit the regularisation connected increasing outdoors.

"The prohibition connected outdoor increasing inactive keeps it criminal, truthful our relation astatine TobaGrown is to region stigma," Lavoie said.

Rules a balancing act: justness minister

Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the removal of the prohibition is intended to bring Manitoba up to velocity with different jurisdictions and adhere to national law.

"It gives the quality to those users to person choice, to beryllium capable to turn successful a liable mode … and ensures we are capturing this portion of the market," Wiebe said. 

Quebec, whose prohibition was upheld successful a 2023 Supreme Court ruling, is now the lone state successful Canada that bars radical from increasing their ain pot.

Wiebe said Manitoba's rules connected home-growing, including restricting increasing outdoors, are a balancing enactment betwixt allowing Manitobans entree to marijuana, portion besides protecting kids and neighbourhoods.

"When it comes to transgression and nationalist safety, if you have plants that turn successful an accessible mode [outdoors], that mightiness conscionable invitation others to travel in," helium said.

Wiebe said the authorities has besides heard from consumers who privation to fume marijuana extracurricular their homes and is listening "very closely," but is moving to allow personal choices successful a mode that besides takes nationalist wellness into account.  

For now, the authorities alteration "gives radical a batch of much choices … but we're doing it successful a liable way," helium said. 

Retailers licensed by The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba will beryllium the lone establishments allowed to merchantability cannabis seeds and works worldly nether the rules.

Those products volition beryllium ordered by the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, the authoritative wholesaler and distributor of cannabis for licensed retailers, the Crown corporation said successful a statement.