Recreational cannabis is now legal in Canada! Yay Canada! This is a momentous occasion, not just for the people of Canada, but for the rest of us as well. Canada is the first major country to legalize cannabis for recreational use, for all adults across the board. This is huge. For the first time ever, other countries will have a fairly concrete model for what full legalization will look like, and more importantly, whether or not it will work for them.
What Does Full Legalization Mean?
Starting on the 17th, adults in Canada will be able to legally purchase cannabis for recreational use from dispensaries all over Canada. Restrictions in different territories still apply, of course. In just a couple short weeks residents of Canada will be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of dried or non-dried cannabis in public.
Residents of Canada will also be able to grow 4 plants for their own personal use, as well as make cannabis products (with the exception of concentrates, which are made using solvents). You can view the full rules and regulations here.
Why Are People So Excited for Canada to Legalize (Besides the Obvious)?
You might be asking yourself why so many people are paying attention to what is happening in Canada, when they were not even the first country to legalize recreational cannabis. When Uruguay legalized, we heard barely a peep.
This time it’s different because Canada is a major world power and operates one of the largest economies in the world. They most closely resemble the US. A lot of American companies do business in Canada and they will be watching closely to see whether legalization will be successful, and even more closely to see if it will be a disaster.
The recreational market is expected to make up a large chunk of Canada’s economy in the years to come, and they want some of that money. If legalization proves successful in Canada, American companies such as Constellation Brands may start pushing the US Congress to start considering legalization in the US. We’ve seen before that American corporations can be very influential when it comes to policy.
So far recreational has worked out well for the states that have done it. This is the first time it’s been tried on such a large scale before. It could really go either way. One thing that we know for certain is that things here are about to change forever.
Canada, all eyes are on you!
What can Canadians expect? What are possible consequences? Find out in Part 2!
Image Source: 420intel.com
Is Canada ready for this? Share your thoughts below!
