Members of the Canadian Senate yesterday voted 56-30 in favor of Bill C-45 sweeping legislation amending the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act so that those over the age of 18 may legally possess, purchase, and grow personal use quantities of cannabis. Members of the Canadian House of Commons had overwhelmingly voted in November in favor of the measure, which also establishes licensing for the retail production and sale of marijuana.
Once House members sign off on Senate changes to the bill, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who campaigned on a pledge to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana sales, is expected to move promptly to enact the historic legislation. Legal cannabis retailers, acting in compliance with the forthcoming law, are anticipated to be operational by late summer/early fall.
“We applaud Canada for showing federal legislators in the United States what can be accomplished with true leadership and dedication to sound public policy. Our elected officials should follow in their footsteps and finally put an end to our own disastrous and discriminatory prohibition on cannabis,” stated NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri.
Under the forthcoming law, those age 18 and older will be legally permitted to possess and purchase personal use amounts of marijuana. Households will also be permitted to grow up to four cannabis plants for personal use, though provinces are empowered to establish alternative limits.. Those who possess greater amounts will face civil sanctions. Commercial marijuana production will be licensed by the federal government, while retail distribution of marijuana will be regulated by individual provinces. The new law will not amend Canada’s existing medical cannabis access regulations, which permit registered patients to grow or purchase cannabis from authorized licensed producers.
Separate legislation, Bill C-46, to address traffic safety concerns remains pending.
In 2016, a federal task force recommended that lawmakers move to legalize and regulate the use and sale of marijuana. The task force concluded that legalization “will maintain and improve the health of Canadians by minimizing the harms associated with cannabis use.”
“Those wanting to see what a rational federal marijuana policy looks like need look no further than to our north. America’s leaders would be wise to learn from our neighbors, who are replacing their archaic and failed marijuana prohibition laws with a regulatory scheme that is largely evidence-based and that reflects cannabis rapidly changing cultural status,” said Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
The bill was amended so it will now return to the lower chamber for a final vote.
Merci Canada!
Road trippin to CANADA!!
C’mon! Get it done by July, aay? It’s a long way from Texas… Daddy needs to get stoned over Niagara!
Just go to Vancouver, they already have retail stores, and it’s amazing!
Denver is awesome; check out “deals” on WeedMaps.com
It states I have no Representative! Matter a fact this is exactly what is says:
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Canada is the new “Land of the Free”.
America is the “Land of the Oppressed”; considering our huge prison population.
America has become an embarrassment to the rest of the world and it’s not just because of Trump but that sure doesn’t help…
Mercy, mercy me! Oh Canada! God bless you!
Can you say, “O Cannabis!”
4 plants is not rational, growing banned in Quebec and Manitoba. This is capitalist tyrannical oppression and shit is what it is.
Remember when the first tariffs started out from Trump on “Canadian softwoods?” %20 came out of nowhere it seemed. And we all had to to decide why the President was attacking Canada if he wasn’t a Russian double agent or if “Canadian softwoods” meant Justin Bieber’s penis? Well, I happened to know, regrettably, Trump wasn’t referring to banning Justin Bieber’s penis; Canada happens to be next to China on importing the majority of our processed hemp to make hemp products legally here in the U.S., a growing multi billion dollar industry.
Now Canada is on the verge of legalizing marijuana and Mitch McConnell wants a cut of that hemp farming income to quell a conservative farm revolt and stay elected in 2020.
But the damage to conservative rural small farmers from tariffs Trump has already imposed, to his Secretary of Agriculture pic giving our rights away to Bayer-Mon-Satan, to Pete Sessions, R-TX blocking all the hemp amendments has already been done.
Trump has created a situation so toxic to his loyal rural base that legalizing hemp and passing the STATES Act may be the only way to keep small American farmers from realizing they lost the farm to a traveling snake oil salesman. That is, if only we could add an amendment to the Farm Bill to transfer money for marijuana rehab to detox Americans for real addictions like meth, pesticide-resistant GMO’s, Russian money laundering and Fox “News.” If only…
Wonderful! Now it’s time for the United States to follow Canada!
It seems that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is now the leader of the free world.
It sure as fuck ain’t USA.
Open letter to the honorable Prime Minister Trudeau: I apologize for President Trump and his minions vile remarks. Trump does not speak for me. There’s a special place in heaven for an empathetic leader like yourself. Understand that America’s love for our dear neighbor runs deeper than a passing boorish President. Thank you for being you, Justin. Thank you for the classy way that you endured these insults. Sincerely yours, Sean from SE Louisiana.
all aboard….. the FUTURE knocking at the door. FULL SPEED AHEAD!