Recreational Weed Will Be Legal in Canada as Soon as September
Canada just became the second country in the world to legalize recreational weed (Uruguay was the first in 2013). Medical marijuana was already legal in Canada since 2001, but a 52-29 vote in Senate passed The Cannabis Act and furthered the legalization to recreational marijuana on Wednesday.
The date that the bill will officially become law will be decided after the bill receives Royal Assent, but it could be as soon as this upcoming September, allowing about three months for the marketplace to prepare and establish itself.
In Canada, adults will be allowed to purchase cannabis and cannabis oil from licensed sellers. They will also have the opportunity to buy weed online from federally licensed sellers. Canadians will also be allowed to grow up to four marijuana plants per household.
Only one ounce of weed will be permitted in public. In order to legally buy and use weed in Canada, federal law says you must be 18 years old, but some provinces have bumped their regulation to 19.
The bill goes puts the Canadian government in a position to regulate the industry. A tweet from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shows the country's intentions to do just that.
Based on the limitations that Canada will begin enforcing on recreational weed, it seems that some US state laws are less regulated than Canada's. For example, some weed products won't be immediately for sale in order to ensure the safety of them if they do hit the market, like edibles and cannabis-infused foods. There will also be restrictions on packaging and marketing.
You can't fly with marijuana going in or out of the US, even if it's medically prescribed, partially infused or in a state where it's legal, since TSA follows the federal guidelines of the US. TPG is in the process of contacting Canadian authorities to find out how the bill will impact travel in Canada in the future.
H/T: BBC
