On Tuesday night, 19th June 2018, the Canada federal government officially passed a bill legalizing recreational marijuana throughout the entire country.
Uruguay was the first country to legalize marijuana’s production, sale and consumption in December 2013.
After Uruguay, this is the only second country to legalize weed. Justin Trudeau Prime Minister of Canada since 2015, presented this legalization very well by portraying it as a platform in his campaign, arguing that by allowing the government to regulate marijuana, it would be kept out of the hands of children.
His Tuesday night tweet:
The act to legalize the recreational use of weed was first introduced on April 13, 2017, and was later passed at the House of Commons in November. The Senate passage of the bill was the final hurdle in the process.
The Cannabis Bill states that adults over the age of 18 can carry up to 30 grams of cannabis on them in public which is quite known. It also allows families to grow up to four plants at home, with which they can make edibles. Legal weed must be purchased through government-regulated dispensaries, and it can’t be sold alongside alcohol and tobacco.
Canada is also adjusting its driving laws to account for cannabis DUIs.
On Wednesday, 20th June 2018, Trudeau announced that giving provinces and territories time to draft their own laws to regulate its retail sale.
The Canadian government has also implemented changes to their impaired driving laws, to address repercussions for driving under the influence of cannabis.
Well C-45 is also expected to spark a billion-dollar industry, given total spending on marijuana could gush as high as 58%, as users are expected to be willing to pay a premium for legal access to the drug.
The government is expected to choose a date in early or mid September.