Canada Now the Second Country to Legalize Recreational Marijuana Use
Canada is now just the second country in the world, after Uruguay, to pass a law permitting the recreational use of marijuana. In a vote that was seen as "historic" by cannabis advocates, the country's Senate passed the bill on Tuesday, June 19.
The Bill C-45, also known as the Cannabis Act, was passed with a vote of 52–29, according to CNN. This new development has also made Canada the first among the G-7 member countries to nationally legalize a marijuana market, as well.
In contrast, nine states in the U.S. plus the District of Columbia have laws allowing the recreational use of marijuana. 30 states in total allow the medical use of cannabis, as well.
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"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," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on social media on Wednesday, June 20.
The Cannabis Act was one of the bills that Trudeau promised during his campaign, as a way to legally control the substance and limit the access of underage users to it. Having a legal marijuana market is also seen as a way to discourage marijuana-related crimes.
While the Prime Minister and his team had planned to have the act implemented by next month, it will be up to the provinces and territories in Canada to determine for themselves how to regulate marijuana sales. Their drafts of their own rules are expected to take another two to three months to gain Senate approval as well.
With that considered, the Canadian government is now expecting to implement the bill by early or mid-September.
Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould called the new measure a "historic milestone" in her tweet on Wednesday. "This legislation will help protect our youth from the risks of cannabis while keeping profits out of the hands of criminals and organized crime," she pointed out.
