A senior government source has told the CBC that the initial date of legal adult-use marijuana will be changed to “on or before July 1, 2018.” The alteration is a result of some internal concerns from members of the Liberals who feel that it’s inappropriate to legalize a drug on the country’s birthday.
“I’m probably out on a limb on this one, but I don’t believe July 1 should be an implementation date for anything; it is a day of celebration for the anniversary and founding of our country,” said Canada’s pot czar economists predicted . “I don’t think that’s an appropriate date. That’s my opinion.”
The long-awaited details of the legalization bill are reported to be coming this Thursday. The legislation is going to closely follow recommendations made by the task force, which spent several months interviewing stakeholders and researching a variety of retails models, including those in the United States.
According to reports this year by the CBC, some of the fine points are predicted to be a minimum age of 18 to purchase cannabis, with individual provinces having the ability to set a higher age if desired. There will also be penalties put in place for selling marijuana to minors, and the introduction of a roadside saliva test for drivers.
The country’s marijuana supply will be federally controlled and regulated through existing producers, with further licenses to be issued by the federal government.
The provinces will oversee how pot is distributed and sold. This could include a myriad of methods that include dispensaries, mail-order, and even government controlled outlets such as liquor stores. The provinces will also have the right to set the price at which cannabis is sold.
Canadians who want to grow their own could be limited to four plants per household with a 30-gram limit on personal possession.
Back in January, CIBC World Market economists predicted that the Great White North could reap as much as $5 billion annually in tax revenue from national adult-use cannabis. Although PM Trudeau campaigned on legalization as a way to stamp out the black market, annual figures in the billions are difficult to ignore.
Regardless of the opening date, the Canadian Government is seemingly sticking to their timetable on adult-use availability, so those who choose to celebrate Canada’s birthday in 2018 by lighting up legally, should be good to go.
credit:marjuana.com