The Vancouver area has long been associated with producing quality cannabis – or “BC Bud” as it is more commonly known. The cannabis grown in the Metro Vancouver area is easily some of the best in North America. The demand for this cannabis has been long standing, despite the currently illegal status of cannabis in Canada.
Cannabis was officially added to the Confidential Restricted List in Canada in 1923, but recreational use in Canada was entirely unheard of until the 1930s. It was around that time that cannabis cultivation was also banned, under the Opium and Narcotic Drug Act in 1938. Even then, popularity did not grow until the 1960s when cannabis gained ground amongst middle-class college students – later expanding to include a broader demographic ranging from young adults to seniors.
It was around this time, in 1961, when the first licensed producers were given government permission by Health Canada. However, with the growth in usage, the Narcotics Control Act increased the penalty for marijuana possession to 14 years up to life in prison in 1961.
Many years later, a 1972 report recommended removing criminal penalties for cannabis possession – though the plant was still not legalized. Cannabis use in Canada then began to stabilize in the 1980s before seeing another large jump between 1996 and 2000. During these four years, Canada saw a 10% increase in use amongst 18-29 year olds. In addition, during this time, Canada legalized commercial cultivation and production of industrial hemp in 1998.
- Category 1: Covered any symptoms treated through cannabis use with the context of it being “compassionate end-of-life care”.
- Category 2: For applicants suffering from debilitating symptoms, beyond what was covered in Category 1.
By 2004, the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University did a study and found that 53% of BC residents had tried cannabis at least once.
Today, British Columbia has the largest support for legalized cannabis out of all the provinces in Canada. In addition, cannabis smoking is quite well tolerated through Vancouver and the Lower Mainland by both residents and the police force. In addition, there are currently 22 licensed producers of cannabis in British Columbia. While this is less than the 57 licensed producers in Ontario, there are still many individual and commercial growers that are operating outside of the Health Canada licensing, allowing BC to have a surplus of bud available for purchase across both local storefronts and online MOM (mail-order marijuana) operations.
Since 1997, public opinion polls have shown that most Canadians agree with the idea that smoking marijuana should not be a criminal offence. However, it is only 21 years later that we are finally seeing movement towards cannabis legalization with new laws to be implemented across Canada later this year.
Van City Pre-Rolls is proud to provide 100% BC bud in each pre-roll package, allowing all Canadians the chance to experience this coveted flower – and learn about its rich history. Every joint is produced with care using innovative and industry-leading pre-roll machine processes to produce a consistent, quality product. Every package of Van City Pre-Rolls contains 20 pre-rolled joints containing a half-gram of pure flower in each. So what are you waiting for? Spark one up!
