Canada becomes first nation to legalise cannabis

TORONTO: Canada became the first industrialised nation to legalise recreational cannabis on Wednesday, but a lawful buzz will be hard to come by in its biggest cities like Toronto and Vancouver, which will have no stores open.

Weed enthusiasts in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada’s easternmost province, kicked off the first permissible sales at midnight. Over 100 people braved the cold and wind in the province’s capital St. John’s, lining up outside a Tweed-branded store owned by Canopy Growth Corp. , the world’s most recognized cannabis producer.

Canopy’s Chief Executive Bruce Linton rang in the first sales to residents Ian Power and Nikki Rose. "I came out tonight to be the first person in Canada to purchase the first legal gram of recreational cannabis, to help see the end of prohibition in Canada finally," Power said.

The day was historic for the country as adult Canadians will be able to legally smoke recreational marijuana after nearly a century-long ban. However, many provincial governments’ approval of only a small number of shops so far, and a shortage of weed supplied to these stores, means most Canadians’ first toke on Wednesday will likely be of black-market pot. </s> The Great White North could find itself in a great white puff of pot smoke as Canada makes history by legalizing marijuana.

What started as an election promise by Justin Trudeau in 2015, before he was prime minister, has led to Canada becoming the second country in the world to legalize the production, sales and distribution of recreational cannabis. Uruguay broke the mould in December 2013, but Canada is the first country in the G20 to move forward with pot legalization.

Cannabis is being legalized in Canada through the Cannabis Act, the first alteration to the Canadian Criminal Code as it relates to pot prohibition in 95 years. It allows adults in Canada to do the following:

Purchase fresh cannabis, dried cannabis, cannabis oil, cannabis seeds, or cannabis plants from retailers authorized by the provinces and territories.

Consume cannabis in locations authorized by local jurisdictions.

Possess up to 30 grams of dried legal cannabis or equivalent in non-dried form in public.

Share up to 30 grams of dried legal cannabis with other adults.

Grow up to four cannabis plants per household (not per person) for personal use, from licensed seeds or seedlings from a licensed supplier.

Make legal cannabis-containing products at home, such as food and drinks, provided that dangerous organic solvents are not used in making them.

The prime minister placed the responsibility of selling, distributing and regulating marijuana under provincial and territorial governments, who will also be reaping the profits of pot sales, making Canada the world’s largest marketplace for pot stock.

If you wish to consume cannabis in Canada, you could face legal trouble if you fail to follow the rules.

Each province and territory has their own plans for allowing Canadians to legally purchase and consume cannabis, but the differences are key. For example, most provinces allow pot growing in households, but that’s not permitted in Quebec. Most jurisdictions say 30 grams is the limit for personal possession, yet in Quebec, up to 150 grams per person is permissible. British Columbia will allow consumption anywhere that tobacco is allowed, but you can only light up on private property while in Yukon.

As of October 17, 2018, the only legal way to purchase cannabis is through the Ontario Cannabis Store’s website. Find out more: https://t.co/0z7Rh17ssg pic.twitter.com/HjczVj4gUo — Ontario government (@ONgov) October 12, 2018





On Wednesday morning, people were reporting problems accessing the Ontario Cannabis Store website after it went live at midnight. Spotify contacted Yahoo Canada to say the official storefront website was not down. Others said they were able to successfully able to access the site and purchase marijuana online. The government-run online retailer is currently the only legal avenue for pot purchasing in Canada’s most populous province.

The overwhelming demand for marijuana had been a concern for some wishing to purchase the drug legally. Some economists had warned before legalization that a lack of pot producers in the country could lead to shortages.

Journey to ‘Marijuanada’

In 2015, Trudeau’s Liberals ran on a federal election platform that included legalizing marijuana for all Canadians. While the New Democrats offered to decriminalize cannabis, the Liberals were the only major party in Canadian history to make pot legalization a pillar of public policy.

The Liberals argued their plan would keep marijuana away from children, ease the burden on the criminal justice system and get profits out of the hands of criminals.

The platform was part of the reason why the Liberals won a majority government mandate on Oct. 19, 2015.

Trudeau has angled the argument for pot legalization as a way to eliminate the black market for sales, which he says has made it easier for children to buy marijuana than it is to purchase alcohol.

It’s been too easy for our kids to get marijuana – and for criminals to reap the profits. Today, we change that. Our plan to legalize & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate. #PromiseKept — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 20, 2018





“There’s no black market for beer,” the prime minister said in April 2017. “There’s no black market for alcohol.” </s> Canada has become the second country after Uruguay to legalise possession and use of recreational cannabis.

The nationwide market for cannabis opened on Wednesday at midnight amid lingering questions about the impact on health, the law and public safety.

Preparations included mailings to 15m households detailing the new cannabis laws and public awareness campaigns.

But there remain concerns, including about the readiness for police forces to tackle drug impaired driving.

Canadian provinces and municipalities have been preparing for months for the end of cannabis prohibition.

Provinces and territories are responsible for setting out many of the details for where cannabis can be bought and consumed within their jurisdictions.

This has created a patchwork of legislation across the country as jurisdictions choose more or less restrictive frameworks for selling and using cannabis.

Shops in the province of Newfoundland, the most easterly time zone in Canada, opened as midnight struck for the first legal sales of cannabis in the country.

How ready is Canada for cannabis?

There remain unanswered questions on some key issues around how legal cannabis will work in Canada.

A number of analysts are predicting a shortage of recreational marijuana in the first year of legalisation as production and licensing continues to ramp up to meet demand.

And the marketplace itself is still in its infancy.

Ontario, Canada's most populous province, will only begin opening retail stores next spring, though residents will be able to order cannabis online.

British Columbia, one of the provinces with the highest rates of cannabis use, will only have one legal store open on Wednesday.

Until retail locations are more widely available, some unlicensed cannabis retailers, which have flourished in the years since the law was first proposed, may stay open.

It is unclear if police will crack down on them immediately, or if they will turn a blind eye.

Legal pot has been an inescapable topic for months in Canada, as governments and companies prepare in earnest for 17 October.

That day is finally here, and Canadians will learn just how much - or how little - the new framework will change the country. But this is not just a domestic affair.

With global trends shifting away from a strict prohibition of cannabis, the world will be watching this national experiment in drug liberalisation.

A measure of success - whether legalisation will be a win for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of the 2019 federal election - will depend on whether it meets his stated goals: restricting access of the drug to youth - who are among the heaviest users in Canada - reducing the burden of cannabis laws on the justice system, and undercutting the illicit market for the drug.

And if the outcomes are positive, other countries might just be more willing to follow suit.

Legalisation fulfils a 2015 campaign promise by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the leader of the governing Liberal Party.

The prime minister has argued that Canada's nearly century-old laws criminalising use of the drug have been ineffective, given that Canadians are still among the world's heaviest users.

He said the new law is designed to keep drugs out of the hands of minors and profits out of the hands of criminals.
• Who wins and who loses under new law
• Canada cannabis legalisation: 'We know the world is watching'

The federal government also predicts it will raise $400m a year in tax revenues on the sale of cannabis.

Cannabis possession first became a crime in Canada in 1923 but medical use has been legal since 2001.

Canada follows in the footsteps of Uruguay, which became the first country in the world to legalise the sale of cannabis for recreational use in 2013. A number of US states have also voted to end prohibition.

Medical marijuana is also gaining ground in many European countries.

What are the new rules around cannabis?

Adults will be able buy cannabis oil, seeds and plants and dried cannabis from licensed producers and retailers and to possess up to 30 grams (one ounce) of dried cannabis in public, or its equivalent.

Edibles, or cannabis-infused foods, will not be immediately available for purchase but will be within a year of the bill coming into force. The delay is meant to give the government time to set out regulations specific to those products.

It will be illegal to possess more than 30 grams in public, grow more than four plants per household and to buy from an unlicensed dealer.
• Legalising cannabis: What you need to know

Penalties for some infraction will be severe. Someone caught selling the drug to a minor could be jailed for up to 14 years.

Some critics say the penalties are too harsh and not proportional to similar laws like those around selling alcohol to minors.

What are some concerns once it is legal?

The end of prohibition will not mean an end to legal and health concerns regarding marijuana.

On Monday, the Canadian Medical Association Journal published an editorial calling legalisation "a national, uncontrolled experiment in which the profits of cannabis producers and tax revenues are squarely pitched against the health of Canadians".

There are also still some legal wrinkles to be worked out.

Canada has brought in new drug impaired driving offences, but doubts remain about the reliability of screening technology and the potential for drugged driving cases to clog up the courts.

Federal statistics indicate that about half of all cannabis users do not believe their driving is impaired after taking marijuana.

Government officials told reporters on Tuesday that they are currently considering a fast-track process to allow people who have been convicted of possession to apply for legal pardons. There are currently some 500,000 Canadians with existing criminal records for possession.

The change in national drug policy has also created headaches with the US, where the drug remains federally a controlled substance.

On Tuesday, the US Customs Border Protection Agency said border guards will have "broad latitude" to determine who is admissible to the country.

Border guards may ask Canadians if they smoke pot, and deny them entry if they believe they intend to do so in the US.

Canada has also been rolling out signs at all airports and border crossings to warn travellers that crossing international borders with the drug remains illegal. </s> Canada became the first industrialized nation to legalise recreational cannabis on Wednesday, but a lawful buzz will be hard to come by in its biggest cities like Toronto and Vancouver, which will have no stores open.

Weed enthusiasts in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada’s easternmost province, kicked off the first permissible sales at midnight. Over 100 people braved the cold and wind in the province’s capital St. John’s, lining up outside a Tweed-branded store owned by Canopy Growth Corp., the world’s most recognized cannabis producer.

Canopy’s Chief Executive Bruce Linton rang in the first sales to residents Ian Power and Nikki Rose.

“I came out tonight to be the first person in Canada to purchase the first legal gram of recreational cannabis, to help see the end of prohibition in Canada finally,” Power said. The day was historic for the country as adult Canadians will be able to legally smoke recreational marijuana after nearly a century-long ban.

However, many provincial governments’ approval of only a small number of shops so far, and a shortage of weed supplied to these stores means most Canadians’ first toke on Wednesday will likely be of black-market pot.

“There will be a lot of celebrations on the day, and it will almost all be with illegal cannabis” in some of Canada’s biggest cities, said Brad Poulos, an instructor and cannabis business expert at Ryerson University in Toronto. “Recreational cannabis users in Canada … will just continue with their (existing) sources of supply until the legal system catches up.”

Despite the dearth of stores in Canada’s biggest cities, consumers can buy legal marijuana online, from provincial governments or licensed retailers, although delivery will take a few days.

Other countries around the world, many of whom are just approving medical marijuana, are watching Canada’s recreational legalization, which combines federal rules with varying provincial regulations.

The move is a political win for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who vowed to legalise cannabis in his 2015 election campaign. That pledge was aimed at taking profits away from organized crime and regulating the production, distribution and consumption of a product that millions of Canadians had been consuming illegally.

But provinces and businesses have struggled to prepare, and legalization was pushed back from original expectations of a July start to enable setting up distribution and sales networks.

In the run-up to legalization, cannabis companies have been on a tear, as companies struck deals while others went public, creating an investor frenzy.

The federal government and many provinces have been cautious, starting with limited stores and products, including no edibles for a year, and tight control over supply.

WEED SHORTAGE Ontario, home to Canada’s most populous city, Toronto, will have no physical stores until April 2019, due to a change to the province’s retail model by a new provincial government.

British Columbia, which plans both province-run and private outlets, has only one government store 350 kilometres (220 miles) from its biggest city, Vancouver. Private store licenses will only be issued after legalization, the province’s Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth said.

“October 18th is going to look very much like October 16th, in many ways,” Farnworth said.

Even in provinces with more shops, empty shelves are likely due to a shortage of product. A study by the University of Waterloo and economic policy think tank C.D. Howe Institute found legal supply will satisfy under 60 per cent of demand in the early months, though that will change as production increases.

“October 17 will… probably be the least elegant day,” Canopy’s CEO Linton said. “But the key message is not how it works on the first day but that there is the first day.”

Law enforcement going forward could be patchy. In August, Canada approved a device to detect levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabis’s psychoactive element, in drivers’ oral fluids.

But many large police departments will forego the C$5,000 device, Adam Palmer, president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, told reporters on Monday.

Draeger Safety Canada, which makes the device, has shipped some units, but a two-week federal funding delay has put further orders on hold, although it expects demand for between 300 and 500 units through March, Managing Director Rob Clark said.

Canada has invested C$274 million to enforce the new laws and some provinces have allocated their own funding, but Palmer said police will not crack down on illegal stores right away.

“When the law changes on the 17th, we’re not going to see a big change overnight,” Palmer said. “Police aren’t … chomping at the bit to go out and start raiding stores.”

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App </s> Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption The Senate passed the bill, with 52 votes in favour and 29 against

Canada's parliament has passed a law legalising the recreational use of marijuana nationwide.

The Cannabis Act passed its final hurdle on Tuesday in a 52-29 vote in the Senate. The bill controls and regulates how the drug can be grown, distributed, and sold.

Canadians will be able to buy and consume cannabis legally as early as this September.

The country is the second worldwide to legalise the drug's recreational use.

Uruguay became the first country to legalise the sale of cannabis for recreational use in December 2013, while a number of US states have also voted to permit it.

Cannabis possession first became a crime in Canada in 1923 but medical use has been legal since 2001.

The bill will likely receive Royal Assent this week, and the government will then choose an official date when the law will come into force.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that until now, "it's been too easy for our kids to get marijuana - and for criminals to reap the profits".

But some groups objected to the new law, with opposition Conservative politicians and indigenous groups among those voicing concerns.

The government is expected to give the provinces and territories, as well as municipalities, eight to 12 weeks to set up the new marijuana marketplace.

This timeframe will also allow industry and police forces to prepare for the new legal framework.

In 2015, Canadians were estimated to have spent about C$6bn ($4.5bn, £3.4bn) on cannabis - almost as much as they did on wine.

How will legal marijuana in Canada work?

It is likely that by mid-September, Canadians will be able to buy cannabis and cannabis oil grown by licensed producers at various retail locations.

Canadians across the country will also be able to order the drug online from federally licensed producers, and grow up to four plants at home.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Take a look inside the world's largest legal cannabis farm

Adults will be able to possess up to 30 grams (one ounce) of dried cannabis in public.

Edibles, or cannabis-infused foods, will not be immediately available for purchase but will be within a year of the bill coming into force. The delay is meant to give the government time to set out regulations specific to those products.

The minimum legal age to buy and consume marijuana has been set federally at 18 but some provinces have chosen to set it at 19.

Provinces are in charge of how it is sold and have the power to set various other limits on its use within their jurisdiction - like where it can be smoked.

But the federal government has set guidelines for plain packaging with little branding and strict health warnings. It will also impose restrictions on promotions targeting young people, promotion through sponsorships, or depictions of celebrities, characters or animals in advertisements.

What will remain illegal?

It will be illegal to possess more than 30 grams of cannabis in public, grow more than four plants per household and to buy from an unlicensed dealer.

Image copyright Press Association Image caption There will still be some restrictions on cannabis use in Canada

Penalties will be severe. Someone caught selling the drug to a minor could be jailed for up to 14 years.

Some critics say the penalties are too harsh and not proportional to similar laws like those around selling alcohol to minors.

What are the rules around the world?

Cannabis is banned in most countries but a number of places have decriminalised its use in recent years. The UK government said recently it would review the use of medicinal cannabis.

It is legal for medicinal purposes in 14 European countries, Israel, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Panama, Mexico, Turkey, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In the US, medicinal use is allowed in 29 states and the District of Columbia, Nine of the states have legalised both medical and personal cannabis use.

Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Jamaica, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Luxembourg are among countries that have relaxed legislation regarding personal use.

Did anyone object?

The new law has not been met with universal praise.

Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer has previously said he was apprehensive it would normalise cannabis use and make it more accessible.

Leo Housakos, a Conservative senator from Quebec, tweeted to say that he thought the law would be "catastrophic for Canadian generations to come".

One specific concern being raised is the legal minimum age being set at 18 instead of 25, as was recommended by multiple experts. However, the government's own task force recommended 18, warning that setting the age limit too high could continue to encourage youth to buy marijuana on the illegal market.

Opponents also question the potential public health impact of legalisation.

Meanwhile, indigenous groups and politicians have voiced fears that their communities were not adequately consulted in the run-up to the vote.

Indigenous services minister Jane Philpott and health minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor had to write a letter to the chair and deputy chair of the Senate's Committee on Aboriginal Peoples earlier in June promising a full report to parliament addressing their concerns, narrowly averting a delay to the law's passage.

Why is Canada doing this now?

This legislation fulfils a 2015 campaign promise by Mr Trudeau, the leader of the Liberal Party.

The prime minister has argued that Canada's nearly century-old laws criminalising use of the drug have been ineffective, given that Canadians are still among the world's heaviest users.

Polls have repeatedly indicated that a solid majority of Canadians are supportive of the move.

The decision to legalise recreational use of marijuana in Canada comes as global trends shift away from criminal prohibition of the widely used drug. </s> Ottawa, Oct 17 (IANS) Canada has become the second country after Uruguay to legalise possession and use of recreational cannabis.

The nationwide market for cannabis opened Wednesday at midnight amid lingering questions about the impact on health, the law and public safety, the BBC reported.

Shops in the province of Newfoundland, the most easterly time zone in Canada, opened as midnight struck for the first legal sales of cannabis in the country.

Preparations included mailings to 15 million households — detailing the new cannabis laws and public awareness campaigns.

However, there remain concerns, including about the readiness of the police to tackle drug impaired driving, the BBC said.

Canadian provinces and municipalities have been preparing for months for the end of cannabis prohibition. They are the ones responsible for setting out many of the details — as to where recreational marijuana can be bought and consumed.

This has created a patchwork of legislation across the country as jurisdictions choose more or less restrictive frameworks for selling and using cannabis, the BBC said.

A number of analysts have predicted shortage of the recreational marijuana in the first year of legalisation as production and licensing would continue to be ramped up to meet the demand, with the marketplace still in its infancy. </s> The Canadian parliament passed a bill Monday to legalize cannabis that would make Canada the first G7 country to allow free consumption of the mind-altering drug.

The bill was passed by 205 votes to 82 in the House of Commons. The legislation must now pass the Senate, and receive royal assent by the governor general before becoming law, likely by September. The Senate could still delay its implementation, but not block it.

"We're probably looking at a date of implementation (of legalization) somewhere toward the beginning of September, perhaps mid-September," the Liberal government's pointman on the pot file, Bill Blair, told broadcaster CTV on Sunday.

Last week, the government rejected 13 out of 46 amendments to the bill proposed by the Senate after several months of study, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's health minister rising to defend home cultivation of cannabis and branded pot swag.

"Canadians are allowed to make beer at home, or wine," Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said Friday. "It is already possible for Canadians to grow cannabis for medical purposes and we absolutely believe the legislation should be consistent when it comes to recreational cannabis."

The government, she said, would follow its expert panel's recommendation to allow at-home cultivation of up to four pot plants for personal use.

As for the proposed advertising restrictions, she said the bill already contains limits such as a requirement for plain packaging.

Legalizing weed was a 2015 campaign promise of Trudeau, who has admitted having smoked a joint with friends "five or six times."

An initial July 1 target was set for ending the pot prohibition that dates back to 1923.

Despite political setbacks, Trudeau has insisted his government would move to legalize the production, sale and consumption of the psychoactive drug this year.

Statistics Canada has estimated that the market will be worth Can$5.7 billion (U.S.$4.5 billion), based on last year's consumption data. </s> Nearly a century of marijuana prohibition came to an end on Wednesday as Canada became the first major Western nation to legalise and regulate its sale and recreational use.



The change was praised by pot enthusiasts and investors in a budding industry that has seen pot stocks soar on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges, but sharply questioned by some health professionals and opposition politicians.

"We're not legalising cannabis because we think it's good for our health. We're doing it because we know it's not good for our children," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on the eve of the reform.

"We know we need to do a better job to protect our children and to eliminate or massively reduce the profits that go to organised crime."

The Cannabis Act, which fulfils a promise Trudeau made in the 2015 election campaign, makes Canada only the second nation after Uruguay to legalise the drug.

Its implementation will be scrutinised and dissected by Canadians ahead of the next election in 2019, as well as other nations that the prime minister has said may follow suit if the measure proves a success.

Trudeau himself admitted in 2013 to having smoked pot five or six times in his life, including at a dinner party with friends after being elected to parliament.

He has also said that his late brother Michel was facing marijuana possession charges for a "tiny amount" of pot before his death in an avalanche in 1998, and that this influenced his decision to propose legalising cannabis.

But Trudeau's office told AFP he "does not plan on purchasing or consuming cannabis once it is legalised".

In total, Statistics Canada says 5.4 million Canadians will buy cannabis from legal dispensaries in 2018 - about 15% of the population. Around 4.9 million already smoke.

Stores in St John's in the Atlantic island province of Newfoundland were due to open their doors to pot enthusiasts as of 00:01 on Wednesday.

"I'm going to have a lot more variety than the black market dealers, so you have a lot more choice at our store. The prices are very comparable," Thomas Clarke, owner of THC Distribution store, told public broadcaster CBC just prior to the big event.

Under the new regulations, Canadians at least 18 or 19 years old (soon to be 21 in Quebec) will be allowed to buy up to 30 grams of cannabis, and grow up to four plants at home.

A patchwork of private and public cannabis retail stores and online sales have been set up across the 13 provinces and territories, ramping up to 300 storefronts by year's end, the government predicts.

Sales of derivatives like edibles will be legalised next year.

To meet demand, hundreds of growers have been licensed, some taking over horticulture and floriculture greenhouses.

This new industry has attracted billions in funding, as well as interest from alcohol and soft drink makers such as Constellation Brands and Coca-Cola, respectively, which have expressed an interest in developing cannabis infused drinks.

Cannabis sales are forecast to boost economic growth by up to Can$1.1 billion and provide a Can$400 million tax revenue windfall for the government, according to Statistics Canada.

Public health officials contend that smoking cannabis is as harmful as tobacco, but welcome what they call the opportunity that legalisation affords for open dialogue.

Some doctors, however, remain wary. Diane Kelsall, editor in chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, called legalisation "a national, uncontrolled experiment in which the profits of cannabis producers and tax revenues are squarely pitched against the health of Canadians".

Police, meanwhile, are scrambling to prepare for a predicted uptick in drug-impaired driving.

It's unclear as yet if the new framework will succeed in undercutting the black market, as prices for illicit pot have plunged in the last year to an average of Can$6.79 per gram, and most sellers had planned to charge more.

Bill Blair, a former police chief in Toronto who is Trudeau's pointman for pot legalisation, remains optimistic.

"For almost a century, criminal enterprises had complete control of this market, 100% of its production and distribution and they profited in the billions of dollars each year. I suspect they're not going to go gently into the night," he told AFP.

"But the fact that some individuals want to cling to a prohibition model that has led to the highest rates of cannabis use of any country in the world is a little shocking to me," he said.

According to a recent Abacus Data poll published on Monday, 70% of Canadians accept or support legalisation. </s> Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to sign into law any bill that legalizes cannabis in the Great White North.

Canada’s House of Commons voted Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana nationwide, and the proposed law will now head to the country’s Senate, where it faces an uncertain future, NPR News is reporting.

In its current form, the bill would make it legal for any adult over 18 years of age to possess less than 30 grams (or just over an ounce) of marijuana. What’s more, the bill would allow Canadians to have up to four marijuana plants in their homes.

Now in Canada’s Senate, which is composed of appointees rather than elected representatives, and which has less power than the House, the bill faces an uncertain future. Already Senators have proposed at least 46 amendments to the law, including one that would allow Canada’s 15 provinces to forbid their residents from growing pot in their own homes. Thirteen of those amendments have already been rejected by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.

Also, according to ABS-CBN News, the Canadian Senate doesn’t have the power to block the law, but rather, it can only delay its implementation. The law will also require royal assent from the Governor General, acting on behalf of Canada’s constitutional sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II. However, the role of Governor General is largely ceremonial and she lacks any real political power.

Liberal spokesperson Bill Blair said that the law will likely be in effect by the end of summer.

In an official news release from Trudeau’s Liberal government, the ruling party said that Canada’s 95-year prohibition of cannabis has failed on every level.

However, opposition party opponents say that the bill, as written, does little to combat the black market of cannabis in Canada. Conservative Senator Percy Mockler, speaking for the opposition, said that the bill “suffers from a serious absence of policy analysis.”

In Canada’s neighbor to the south, the United States, the future of marijuana continues to get murkier. Although marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, over half of the 50 states have legalized either recreational or medical marijuana. The Obama-era Justice Department followed a general guideline of not interfering in states’ rights to allow marijuana – a policy that Trump appointee Jeff Sessions reversed. However, Donald Trump has promised to support a bill that would affirm the states’ rights to regulate marijuana on their own, according to The Hill.
Canada becomes the first G20 nation to fully legalise cannabis.