The Canadian senate voted 52 to 29 to pass the legislation. Canada is now the second country, behind Uruguay, to nationally legalize recreational use of cannabis. The vote to legalize ends 90 years of prohibition in Canada. The Cannabis Act was introduced last year by Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government. As medical use of cannabis has shown promising advancements in Canada, the recreational use will open an additional market for Canadians.
Initially, the Canadian government planned to open sales on the first of July. However, the federal government is to set the exact date to begin sales, and will give provinces and territories 8-12 weeks after legislation is passed to get ready for sales.
Once legislation goes into effect, Canadians will be allowed to grow up to four plants in their home and carry up to 30 grams of dried cannabis for personal use. Penalties will be enforced upon those that are caught with more than 30g and/or supplying to minors.
Sales are projected to reach between 5 billion and 7 billion Canadian dollars annually. The minimum age of consumption will fluctuate between 18 and 19 years old depending on the province.
This is an exciting time globally for the advancement of cannabis acceptance.