NA-POT-LEGALIZING20 TORONTO, ON - APRIL 20 - 420 celebrations at Yonge Dundas square. Health Minister Jane Philpott says Canada will introduce legislation in the spring of next year to begin the process of legalizing and regulating marijuana. April 20, 2016. Randy Risling/Toronto Star
Today Canada took a big step today in order to try and “keep marijuana away from underage users and reduce related crime” by becoming the second country to ever legalise recreational marijuana throughout the passing of Bill C-45, also known as the Cannabis Act.
The Bill was first introduced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and was later approved by the House of Commons in November, finally with the Senate’s blessing the enforcing of the new law is a matter of time. This consequently has lead to provinces, territories, law enforcement and others are asking for 8-12 weeks in order to produce their own rules and prepare for the market that is about to emerge.
Specifically, the law once enforced will allow adults older than 18 to carry and share up to 30 grams of marijuana in public, as well as this adults will be able to grow up to four plants in their own homes and create cannabis-based products, such as edibles, for personal use. When it comes to buying the substance, you will be expected to purchase it from “retailers regulated by provinces, territories or — when neither of those options are available — federally licensed producers. Marijuana will also not be sold in the same location as alcohol or tobacco.”
As for how well this Bill will regulate and control the use of cannabis, we will have to wait and see, let’s just hope we see the positive outcome that the government planned for.
