When will the US enjoy the benefits of ordering weed by mail?
Weed by Mail – US Vs Canada – Published 10:00 am PT April 5th, 2021. By 805-Cannabis
If you live in one of the 16 states, or Washington, DC, that have legalized recreational marijuana, chances are, you’re excited about having a casual joint without worrying about the law cracking down on you. However, even if you are in a state that legalized cannabis, you still have to go down to the dispensary to do your shopping. The United States does not allow shipping weed orders by mail, not even if you use a private carrier.
Meanwhile, our neighbors to the north can legally order weed online and have it delivered to their doorstep by any carrier. While they do deserve some help in getting through those long winters, it seems unfair that they can use the mail, and we cannot.
It all comes down to federal regulations. Here is why Canada allows cannabis mail orders, but the United States does not.
US Federal Regulations
While several states have legalized recreational cannabis use, and more than half the states have legalized its usage for medical purposes, marijuana is still illegal on a federal level. According to the Controlled Substances Act, weed is a Schedule 1 drug, just like heroin.
While many states have realized that treating weed and heroin as if they are equally dangerous is absurd, the federal government has not come around yet. This is a problem because the federal government is the one that controls the mail.
The United States Postal Service is a federal agency and must follow federal law, even when shipping packages between two addresses in the same state where weed is legal. Private companies also have to comply with federal regulations on substances. That means that if you are caught sending weed through the mail in the United States, you could face thousands of dollars in fines and even a prison sentence.
Canadian Federal Regulations
Shipping weed through the mail in Canada is legal because it has been legal for recreational use on a national level since 2018. However, the country has a long tradition of ordering cannabis by mail because mail-ordered medical marijuana was legalized back in 2001.
There are regulations governing how Canadians can send weed through the mail. You can only ship about 30 grams of recreational weed in any form, although the limit is greater for medical users. You also need to send it in special packaging that is anonymous, odor-proof, tamper-proof, and leak-proof. Canada Post helpfully sells those packages.
There are some differences between provinces when it comes to ordering weed and shipping it. Some only allow shopping at government-owned stores, while others only have privately-licensed stores. Quebec and Manitoba banned the shipping of cannabis plants and seeds. The age limit for ordering weed also differs depending on the province.
Despite the regulations and differences between provinces, the fact of the matter is that Canadians can easily order weed online and have it shipped to their home, while even Americans in states with legalized marijuana cannot.
Why Is There a Difference?
Ultimately, it comes down to regulations on a federal level. Canada legalized weed on a national level, while the American government is still dragging its feet and refusing to even reclassify weed as a substance with some medical benefits.
However, the political will is shifting, and more people are in favor of legalization. More and more legal experts are also realizing that allowing the substance to be legal on a local level while banning it nationally places too many people in a legal gray area. Once the federal government finally comes around, hopefully shipping marijuana through the mail will be legal here as well.
