While nobody is talking about it, I believe that growing in compliance with C-45 will not result in a conviction at this time.
I do not believe the courts would convict you for 4 plants. I am sure they would take a dim view on the use of police resources busting people who are compliant with the new laws. In MY OPINION C-45 and C-46 have received Royal Assent and therefore are the law of the land. The Government is saying October 17 so they can get everyone using their suppliers. All of the talk has used carefully worded statements that give the impression that cannabis is still illegal until the 17th of October.
This is what Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said, “I urge all Canadians to continue to follow the existing law until the Cannabis Act comes into force,”
She did not say that C-45 is not the law (it became law with Royal Assent on Thursday afternoon, June 21st 2018), but she "urged" Canadians to follow the old law.
She did not say it is illegal to comply with C-45. Nobody has said that.
There are some caveats.
The cops are still the cops. C-45 and C-46 don't require them to keep your plants alive if they confiscate them (if I wrote the law it would require that they replace what they confiscated, say 4 or more ounces of bud per plant, sourced from a Licensed Producer). So even though you are seen to be legal by the courts, you don't have your plants.
The cops are the cops, part two. The cops can do what they want until told otherwise. And even then, they can still use the ignorance of the public as a tool. They can confiscate your half ounce of primo bud and make you fight to get it back. Or they can tie you up for a half hour asking questions. They are getting paid, their time is compensated, yours isn't. Oh yeah, to add insult to injury, YOU are paying that cop.
Which begs the question, do you want the hassle that comes with sticking one's neck out?
Be cautious and comply with C-45.
So, on the first day of summer, 2018, Cannabis became (sort of) legal. Something to celebrate!
Peace.
