The national legalization of cannabis north of the Canada-U.S. border is expected to create competitive pressure for the U.S. to legalize at the federal level so that consumers do not divert billions of dollars of revenue out of the country. [20] Canada`s Minister of Health was required to conduct a review of the Act, its administration and enforcement three years after it came into force, in order for the review to take place one year later than planned. First Nations leaders who attended the Assembly of First Nations largely agreed that the distribution of cannabis on reserve lands should be regulated by First Nation governments, not provincial laws. [34] Since cannabis is illegal in the United States under federal law, the government has warned that „prior use of cannabis or any other substance prohibited by U.S. federal law could mean that you will be denied entry into the United States.“ Canadians travelling within the country (but not abroad) are allowed to transport up to 30 grams of cannabis. Driving under the influence of drugs remained illegal. [36] [37] Immediately following legalization, licensed producers often had difficulty accessing financial services. Alterna Savings and Alterna Bank were among the first financial institutions to lend to cannabis-focused businesses in Canada, providing primary banking services to approximately two-thirds of the hundred licensed producers in 2018. [35] Until 17.
In October 2018, cannabis remained illegal (except with a doctor`s prescription), Trudeau reminded police forces across the country in late 2016. He insisted that they „apply the law“: criminally charge illegal shops. Trudeau also said the intent of the bill is not to encourage the recreational use of cannabis. The intent is to „better protect our children from the easy access to marijuana they have right now, [and] eliminate criminal elements who have benefited from marijuana,“ he told the Toronto Star on Dec. 2, 2016. [31] The Cannabis Act[a] (also known as Bill C-45) is legislation that restricts the recreational use of cannabis in Canada in conjunction with its accompanying Bill C-46 An Act to amend the Criminal Code, legalized. [2] The law is a milestone in the legal history of cannabis in Canada, alongside the prohibition of 1923. The Liberal Party proposed legalization in 2012,[9] and it was a major election platform for Justin Trudeau, who became prime minister in 2015. [10] Shortly after the election, the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation was convened to investigate the matter. They published a report on December 13, 2016.
[11] On April 10, 2017, CBC News and sources in other countries reported that the Liberals intend to introduce legislation by April 13 so that it can be considered before the 420th „statutory holiday.“ [12] [13] [14] A legalization date prior to July 1, 2018 was set to avoid Canada Day. [15] Canadian politicians have been inspired by the regulations and laws surrounding the legalization of cannabis in Colorado, Washington and Uruguay. [16] During the by-election in Lac Saint-Jean, the legalization debate was an issue. Bloc Québécois candidate Marc Maltais said he was concerned about the law`s ability to respect provincial jurisdiction. The NDP candidate felt that the July 1 deadline was too fast to implement legalization. [28] On June 19, 2018, the Senate passed the bill and the Prime Minister announced the effective date of legalization on October 17, 2018. [32] Canada is the second country (after Uruguay) to legalize the drug. [33] Until 2006, a high percentage of the population used cannabis,[49] despite the risk of police charges of possession and especially sale without the required license, according to statistics from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Almost half (44%) of Canadians admit to trying at least once; No statistics were provided on the percentage of those who use it frequently. The CAMH report also shows that in the final year of high school, nearly half (46 per cent) of Ontario students admit to using marijuana in the past year.
[50] The CAMH discussion contains warnings about the negative effects of cannabis. Other groups are also warning of the risk, including the Canadian Automobile Association, whose 2016 survey found that „nearly two-thirds of Canadians are concerned that roads will become more dangerous with the legalization of marijuana [due to drug impairment].“ [51] An October 2016 national survey by Forum suggests that approximately five million adult Canadians now use cannabis at least once a month; This is expected to increase by 19% after marijuana legalization. [5] Canaccord Genuity analysts Matt Bottomley and Neil Maruoka published a research note with a more moderate estimate of the number of users. They predicted that by 2021, about 3.8 million people (probably frequently) will be recreational users. [52] A report by Canada`s Parliamentary Budget Commissioner (PBO) is more optimistic, estimating that approximately 5.2 million adults could be users by 2021. [53] The Canadian government`s 2021 Canadian Cannabis Survey found that 17% of Canadians aged 16 years and older reported using cannabis in the past 30 days. [54] Each province establishes its own procedures for retail sales, and these differ in terms of ownership or retail stores (by the provincial government or private companies), but all include an option for online sales. Since marijuana is illegal in the U.S. under federal law, the government warned that „prior use of cannabis or a substance prohibited by U.S. federal law could mean you will be denied entry into the United States.“ Canadians travelling within the country (but not abroad) are allowed to transport up to 30 grams of cannabis. Of course, driving under the influence of drugs remained illegal.
[42] [43] It was announced that Canada will introduce an excise tax on all products containing THC on May 1, 2019, introducing three new categories of products for recreational sale: cannabis edibles, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals. [44] An October 2019 Bloomberg News report painted a bleak picture of the legal cannabis industry. Due to the relatively small number of retail stores, particularly in Ontario, and high retail prices, the black market remained persistent. An independent cannabis research firm estimated that the black market accounts for 86% of cannabis sales. In response to popular belief,[5] the Cannabis Act, Bill C-45 was passed by the House of Commons of Canada on November 27, 2017; it passed second reading in the Canadian Senate on March 22, 2018. [6] On June 18, 2018, the House of Representatives passed the bill with most, but not all, of the Senate amendments. [7] The Senate passed this version of the bill the next day. [8] An Ernst & Young report from late November 2017 suggested that there would be mergers, leaving fewer players in this industry. „Many believe consolidation is inevitable, leaving some big players after legalization.“ Also in late 2017, Deloitte predicted that the recreational cannabis market would be worth nearly $23 billion. [65] Recently, U.S.
liquor companies have expressed interest in the cannabis trade in Canada. [66] U.S. cannabis producers are concerned that Canada is the dominant player in the market. [67] After legalization plans[63] became well known, industry analysts reported that some of the producers who had been licensed for medical marijuana, including Aurora Cannabis, were already increasing the capacity of their operations for future sales to recreational cannabis sellers. [64] As expected, the recreational use of cannabis ceased on September 17. October 2018 legal across the country under the Cannabis Act. [34] Persons 18 years of age and older may possess up to 30 grams of dried or „non-dried equivalent“ form in public. Adults are also allowed to produce cannabis-infused food and beverages „as long as organic solvents are not used to make concentrated products.“ Each household is allowed to grow up to four cannabis plants from „authorized seeds or seedlings,“ although Quebec and Manitoba have chosen to be excluded from this aspect of the law.