Manitoba expected to overturn ban on homegrown cannabis

The government of Manitoba plans to reverse the Canadian province’s ban on home cultivation of recreational cannabis, according to local media reports.

Manitoba and Quebec were the only two provinces to enact rules against growing adult-use marijuana at home when the Canadian government legalized recreational cannabis in 2018.

The federal law permits the cultivation of four cannabis plants per residence, although provinces are free to enact further restrictions.

Since marijuana legalization, Manitoba’s political leadership has shifted from the Progressive Conservatives to the left-wing New Democratic Party of Manitoba (NDP).

The Manitoba NDP has not yet formally introduced the bill in The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, but news of the bill’s contents was published last week by CityNews Winnipeg.

A legal challenge to Manitoba’s home grow ban failed last year, although the applicant planned to appeal.

Home cannabis cultivation was a hot topic in the lead-up to recreational marijuana legalization in Canada, with concerns raised around the potential impacts of growing cannabis in private residences.

However, Canada’s recently released legislative review of legalization found “no evidence that suggested reforms are needed to the federal rules on home cultivation.”

Quebec’s ban on home cultivation of recreational cannabis is still in place after being upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2023, following a court challenge.

Home cultivation of medical marijuana by registered patients remains legal across Canada.