Canada Goes Legal
On Wednesday, Canada became the first industrialized nation to legalize recreational marijuana. Medical marijuana has been legal in the country since 2001.
Canadian provinces and municipalities have been preparing for months for this monumental event. They are now responsible for planning out where cannabis can be bought and consumed.
Other countries around the world, many of which have just approved medical marijuana, are keeping their eyes on Canada’s recreational legalization, which combines federal rules with varying provincial regulations.
Under Canada’s new federal cannabis act, adults will be allowed to possess, carry and share with other adults up to 30 grams of dried cannabis — enough to roll roughly 60 regular-sized joints. They will also be permitted a maximum of four homegrown marijuana plants per household in most provinces.
During the 2015 election, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to legalize cannabis, pledging to take away profits from organized crime and regulate the production, distribution and consumption of a product that millions of Canadians consumed illegally. A good legal expert from www.denvercocriminaldefenselawyer.com/ can help with the legalities.
“The criminal prohibition that was in effect for a century in this country has failed our kids and our community,” said Bill Blair, minister of border security and organized crime reduction.
The federal government and many provinces have been cautious leading up to Wednesday, starting with limited stores and products, including no edible marijuana for a year and tight control over supply.
“Legalization of cannabis is the largest public policy shift this country has experienced in the past five decades,” said Mike Farnsworth, British Columbia’s minister of public safety. “It’s an octopus with many tentacles, and there are many unknowns.”
