Canada Just Legalized Marijuana Throughout the Country

Cannabis lovers in the entire world are as thrilled as conventional folks are mortified at the legalization of most popular drug in the world, cannabis, in Canada. In case you didn’t already know, Canada is the first rich state that has fully legalized marijuana. I cannot imagine how ecstatic weed lovers must be at this news. Although, Uruguay was the first to take this step it doesn’t really classify as a rich country that might have some significance and popularity in the world. But this step taken by Canada has been the sensational news of this week.

Now let’s talk a little about the background of this decision. Before the Liberal party won the elections, it was figured that Trudeau would promise Canadians the legalization of cannabis. On 20^th June after the Senate legalized cannabis Trudeau tweeted. “It’s been too easy for our kids to get marijuana – and for criminals to reap the profits. Today, we change that. Our plan to legalize & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate. #PromiseKept” The tweet that ended with a somewhat sassy hashtag has been liked by 51K people so far, and I am sure that most of these people are teens.

Senate passed the Bill C-45 which is now known by the name of Cannabis Act, and since the bill has already been approved by the House of Commons, Senate’s approval turned it into a law. However, strict recommendations from the Federal government are being taken into account in order to regulate the usage of weed across the country. The law is supposed to take effect from 17^th October.

Now, let’s talk a little about the recommendations of the federal government. You have to keep in mind that the use of weed, although legal, is very much regulated. Adults are allowed to have about 30gms of weed in their possession at all times. You are also allowed to share it with whomsoever you want. Families are also allowed to have up to four plants of weed at their homes with the help of which they can make weed edibles. In case you didn’t already know, there is a group of international drug treaties to which Canada is a signatory as well, and it has ratified the treaty. While the same can be said about the USA, they have been arguing that not all the states have legalized cannabis, and therefore; it is not technically against the treaty because it is not the federal law. Canada is bound to face a bit of problem in this regard.

The fact that Canada legalized weed should not be surprising considering that most of  the US states have it legalized for either recreational or medicinal purposes. But no other country in the world has taken this step so far, except for Uruguay.

The purchase of weed, however, is strictly limited to weed dispensaries that are set up by the government. People have a variety of views about this step, and while everyone appears to be happy that now they can buy weed legally, there are some who do not approve of the idea very much. We will get into that later.

On the website of the Liberal party, they declared that they would legalize, restrict and regulate the use of cannabis by the people. It’s only fair to take this step because marijuana is already illegally available in the country and that too for cheap rates. The criminal record of a lot of Canadians comprises of the sole crime of possession of marijuana. This means that situation is not helpful in maintaining the laws against cannabis.

Now, we ought to discuss the possible benefits that can be reaped from this bold step taken by the government of Canada. Trudeau and the Liberals believe that legalization of marijuana has more to do with balancing the existing use of a drug. It is no secret that adults and even kids are able to procure marijuana by illegal means. Legalizing it would involve taking the government into the fold. The government has taken this step in the hopes that citizens would now prefer doing it lawfully which would be discouraging for the business of illegal pot sellers. People who smoke marijuana are addicted to it, and they are mostly blinded by their addiction when they are thrown into jails for possessing cannabis it disturbs the social setup. Also, the example of Colorado is already in front of the government and taking that step did prove beneficial in controlling the criminal usage of marijuana; the government has decided to step up and legalize marijuana for good.

Another major advantage that the government is looking to reap from this scenario is controlling the drugs black market. Because the drug cartel is involved in a plethora of crimes and as it takes more people into its fold the crime ratio increases across the entire country. By legalizing marijuana, the government is making attempts to kaput the business of drug dealers in the country and discourages their attempts of causing violence in the society. It is also going to offer people an opportunity to legitimately work in this industry instead of joining a drug cartel.

The biggest concern, however, is that while federal task force is assisting with the issue of keeping an eye on the use of marijuana by minors, it will still be very easy for people to access marijuana and disseminate it among children. So this is the major risk that comes with the legalization of pot that it will be too easily available to those who are trying to leave drugs or children who have not yet reached the age of eighteen. A lot of people believe that marijuana sold by the government will be too expensive, to begin with, and therefore; it will be difficult for the government to sell it while the illegal sellers still provide a better selling price. A reply to Trudeau’s tweet announcing the lifting of the ban on Twitter by @pamswart says: “Just setting the stage for bigger problems.” Those are the beliefs of a common citizen of Canada.

Let’s hope that the ban balances out the drug-related problems of Canada and let me know what you think of this expected fiasco.

About the Author:

Carolina is a mother of two kids. She loves writing about the physical and mental behavior of the children and adults. Her passion for writing reflects every aspect of life including social issues and healthy lifestyle. She ritually writes at https://shadedco.com/.