Trudeau set to follow through with his campaign promise of federally legalizing cannabis in Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has actually admitted to having smoked with friends a couple of times during his time serving in Parliament. Also, the Canadian Attorney General supports national legalization. He believes that legalizing cannabis will help the country to control the criminal aspects still thriving off of prohibition.
This is a stark comparison alongside their neighbors to the South. Donald Trump is the first president in 25 years to claim that he’s never smoked the good herb before. Similarly, Jeff Sessions has been staunchly anti-cannabis for his entire reign as Attorney General. As the United States government seems to be attempting to turn their backs on cannabis, Trudeau announced that he plans to have Canada legal by July 1, 2018. Quite the deadline.
Proposed Regulations
The CBC news report that announced this revelation dictated that all Canadians over the age of 18 could legally partake in cannabis. Under the proposed regulations the Canadian federal government will manage the safety and security of the country’s product. From there, provinces will have the right to regulation distribution and sales. Provinces can also set their own sales numbers and/or make the legal age limit higher than 18. For those Canadian citizens looking to grow their own cannabis, they will be allowed four plants per household.
Despite these positive announcements, there have been stories of Canadian youth being prosecuted for minor possession. It also isn’t a secret that raids on Canadian dispensaries persist. To this Trudeau did have a reply, albeit not a great one, but a reply nonetheless. “Until we have a framework to control and regulate marijuana, the current laws apply,” Trudeau said in Esquimalt, B.C. on March 1.
Despite the previous setbacks, Canadians are excited for the end of cannabis prohibition in their country. If all goes well, let’s hope that the American federal government will follow suit.
