Canada Legalizes Cannabis, Becoming First G7 Nation To Do So

What has been debated, voted on, and discussed for many years has finally occurred. The Canadian government has legalized recreational cannabis. On Wednesday June 20th, 2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that starting October 17th of 2018, recreational cannabis will be fully legal in Canada. Trudeau has allotted enough time for Canada’s many cities and provinces to determine the best way for legal cannabis to operate in their area.

Canada Legalizes Cannabis, But Not Much Else Is Known

The many cities and provinces of Canada will all handle legal cannabis differently. For instance, NBC News reports that “Ontario plans to open up to 150 stores run by its Liquor Control Board,” and that “British Columbia is planning for a mix of public and privately owned stores, while Newfoundland and Saskatchewan will have only private pot shops.”

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The country’s cannabis plans will be similar to the United States in many ways, including the fact that different provinces will have the ability to treat things like home growing differently. It will also be very different from the United States in a few major ways. While most American states with legal cannabis may only sell to adults over the age of 21, Canada will allow the sale of cannabis to all adults over the age of 18. Another way in which cannabis legalization in Canada will differ from the United States is that the sale of cannabis online will be permitted. This is a game-changing regulation that will allow ease of access for cannabis consumers in Canada.

All growers in Canada will have to be licensed by the federal government who will also be setting a minimum price for the sale of cannabis. Though many have speculated at how high this price may be, it is likely to be $8-$10/gram. When it comes to taxes, WWMT reports that “The federal government wants to tax legal marijuana at either $1 per gram or one-tenth of a product’s price, whichever is greater, plus federal and provincial sales taxes.”

Much Remains To Be Determined

Though the Canadian government has taken a historic step that has not been taken by any other G7 country including the United States by legalizing recreational cannabis nationwide, much of how that will take place is to be determined. Luckily, the government has allowed themselves until October 17th to hammer out the details and create a successful legal cannabis program.