Canada may legalise recreational marijuana soon
Canada's government is aiming to pass legislation that will legalise the recreational use of marijuana: the federal government is scheduled to table in Parliament legislation that will legalize the recreational sale of marijuana in the country.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged that will require selling cannabis at a price that is equal to or cheaper than its going rates on the black market and he has already endorsed one of its key recommendations: that marijuana should be legal for people who are of legal drinking age – 18 or 19 years old, depending on the province they live in.
That legislation is scheduled for tabling in Parliament on April 13 does not mean that marijuana sales will become legal in Canada on that day.
The government has indicated its legislation will be highly restrictive and designed to discourage people from consuming marijuana, especially under the age of 18. The bill is expected to include tough penalties for those who provide marijuana to children and teens, sources said.
“The goal will not simply be to legalize marijuana, but also to prevent youth from having access to it,” a senior official said. The proposed legislation is also expected to call for plain packaging for recreational marijuana so that it would be marketed more like tobacco products than alcohol. Medical marijuana is legal in Canada, but a doctor's prescription is required.
“It would be hard to imagine a scenario where you could sell pot like you could sell booze,” a senior government official said. Supporters argue that benefits include taxing legal marijuana, which could potentially bring in a lot of public revenue.
The senior government official acknowledged there is a “big gap” between the government’s position on packaging and a recent proposal from Canada’s licensed medical-marijuana producers, who have been getting ready for the multibillion-dollar recreational market.
In a recent letter to the government, several licensed producers called on Ottawa to allow cannabis to be sold in containers with colourful lettering and logos as long as it is not targeted at children.
Age limit is expected to take precedence during Thursday’s meeting, as some conservatives, as well as the Canadian Medical Association, have suggested that only adults 21 and older should be allowed to purchase and consume marijuana products legally, citing potential damage to brain development as their main reason for not supporting a younger age limit.
The bill is also expected to authorize cultivation of four cannabis plants per household, a proposal that has also come under scrutiny from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, CBC News reported.
Uruguay became the first nation to legalize marijuana several years ago but has been sluggish in setting up a market. It will become the world’s first country to allow recreational marijuana to be sold in pharmacies starting July, the president’s office said last week.
Under the law, buyers must sign up for a national registry of marijuana users to ensure they have fulfilled licensing procedures and do not exceed the monthly maximum purchase of 40 grams.