The holidays are a time when people are in the mood to share gifts with their loved ones and relatives and cannabis is coming up as a common gift among many. A few years ago, many might have thought it absurd to consider cannabis as a holiday gift. However, with the new wave of acceptance across different climes cannabis, it is now top on the list of gift items among some adults. As The Fresh Toast points out, there are however some important things that one must note if you will be gifting or have received weed as a holiday gift. Read on as we point you to the things that you must take note of.
Enjoying Cannabis with the Usual Holiday Cheer
Cannabis gifting is certainly new territory for most Americans as there are a number of legal grey areas that must be steered through to avoid legal troubles. Nonetheless, it remains an exciting gift to either give or receive and with the right knowledge you can enjoy it to the fullest this holiday season. The holidays have come in with retailers in the cannabis industry offering holiday-flavoured edibles, holiday gift sets and unique packaging of products. This initiative was spurred on by the continued wave of legalization of recreational cannabis being experienced in the U.S.
A poll was conducted recently by Jush Holdings on what the plans of cannabis consumers are during the holidays regarding the use of the natural herb. The result of the poll showed that adults in states with legal recreational cannabis markets overwhelmingly intend to make cannabis an active part f their celebrations this season. This means that if you are in a state where recreational marijuana is legal, there is a high chance that you will find cannabis in a social gathering or something. However, when it comes to gifting cannabis, we start by examining what we call a “gift”.
What is Cannabis Gifting?
A gift is generally anything received from a second party as a means of appreciation without expecting compensation or payment. That being said, cannabis gifting invariably means gifting cannabis to a second party without expecting or receiving payment. Boston Globe reacted to this trend recently when it wrote that receiving payment later after ‘gifting’ weed is illegal under the state’s marijuana laws. The state also indicates that receiving reciprocal ‘gifts’ of pot or other items of value is also illegal. This shows how much the trend of cannabis gifting has caught on among cannabis lovers.
The interpretation of what is said earlier is that cannabis lovers must be careful how they ‘gift’ themselves weed during this period. It will be wrong for you to give your friend a card with $100 in it after receiving a weed gift. This will be termed a transactional relationship and will fall outside of the umbrella of cannabis gifting. Therefore, while trying to gift your friends weed during this holiday season, do well to avoid mixing weed gifts with cash gifts and other items of value.
Know the State Laws
We commonly talk about the importance of state laws in the cannabis industry and that is because what is permissible and what is not depends highly on where you are. Seeing as cannabis is still classified as a Schedule 1 drug, it is still considered illegal in the U.S. Therefore, state laws are what is binding regarding what is legal or not. Cannabis laws are often changing which means you must be up-to-date at all times. Likewise, the laws can be contradictory sometimes which means you might need to ensure that you interpret them to the letter.
Cannabis gifting is one of the instances where cannabis laws can be quite confusing and contradictory. Washington D.C. for instance has explained that ‘gifting’ is one of the legal means of marijuana exchange among individuals. Some other states like Florida on the other hand have strong penalties for marijuana possession despite having an established medical marijuana program. This further reinforces the need for all cannabis lovers to know the cannabis laws existing in their states and not just jump to conclusions. One thing remains constant across all states though and that is that marijuana is always illegal for minors. Therefore, it will be wise to not exchange weed as a gift at a party with minors present.
Learn to Enjoy the Gift Itself
It is understandable that you want express appreciation when you receive a cannabis gift by delving into it the right way. It will however be wise not to, at least not right away. This is why we will advise that you try to savour the gift and not feel obligated to dive right in. This goes for both the person doing the gifting and the receiver of the gift. If you want to partake, it’s best to bring extra that both of you might enjoy separately. A gift is a gift and the receiver must be allowed to enjoy it and all the pleasures that come with it.
What Should You Do After Getting the Weed Gift?
The most important thing to do after receiving a cannabis gift is to give thanks and not necessarily look for a way to compensate those doing the gifting. The gift is an extension of the holiday cheer and you should allow it to proceed as such lest you steer into a roadblock with the law. Receive the gift with thanks and try not to light it or consume it immediately as you can still do that in your private quarters. This gives the person doing the gifting the comfort that the gift was well appreciated.
Bottom Line
The summary of it all is that if you’re going to give or receive cannabis as a gift this holiday season, do well to get familiar with the law of the land. Avoid compensating those doing the gifting in monetary terms as it can easily be explained as a buying and selling transaction in the eyes of the law. Most importantly, do well to enjoy your cannabis as you are enjoying the bliss of the holidays and spreading good cheer.
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