Canada Senate approves recreational use of marijuana

 

Smoke rises during the annual 4/20 marijuana rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, April 20, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

 

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's upper house of parliament on Tuesday approved a revised bill to legalize recreational marijuana, setting the stage for the country to become the first Group of Seven nation to legalize cannabis.

 

The Senate voted 52-29 in favour of the revised bill from the elected House of Commons, paving the way for a fully legal cannabis market within eight to 12 weeks.

 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals had made legalizing recreational use of marijuana part of their successful 2015 election campaign, arguing the new law would keep pot out of the hands of underage users and reduce related crime.

 

"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," Trudeau said in a tweet.

 

As the first major economy to fully legalize cannabis, Canada's regulatory rollout will be closely watched by other nations considering the same path - and by global investors, who have already poured billions into Canadian marijuana firms.

 

Canadian marijuana companies like Canopy Growth Corp, Aphria Inc, Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF and Aurora Cannabis Inc have been at the centre of investor frenzy surrounding attempts to legalize marijuana for recreational use nationwide.

 

Legalization has already been delayed from the government's initially planned July launch.

 

While production of cannabis is regulated by the federal government, provinces and cities have more powers over retail sales either through private or government-owned stores.

 

"I'm feeling just great," CBC News quoted Tony Dean, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, as saying. "The end of 90 years of prohibition. Transformative social policy, I think. A brave move on the part of the government."

 

(Reporting by Denny Thomas; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-20

Cool. Now I hope Trudeau puts a 25% tariff on it for any American tourist coming over the border to enjoy (there will be tens of thousands ?  )

I am always proud to be Canadian.

 

That said, I am prouder than normal at the moment.

 

Well Done!

5 hours ago, webfact said:

arguing the new law would keep pot out of the hands of underage users

In the UK we have laws on selling alcohol and tobacco to under age children, It does not work... 

3 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I am always proud to be Canadian.

 

That said, I am prouder than normal at the moment.

 

Well Done!

Me too.

when i was a teenager in canada in the 70s, it was always easier to get mariquana than alcohol. Everyone knew the dealers at school but who was going to show up with 10 cases of beer for sale.

1 hour ago, Basil B said:

In the UK we have laws on selling alcohol and tobacco to under age children, It does not work... 

In the 1970’s the Netherlands made a dinstinction between hard drugs and soft drugs and allowed the sale of Cannabis in coffee shops. 

 

It reduced the rate of hard drug use and the country went on to have the lowest rate of Cannabis use by minors in Europe and around 1/3rd as much use by minors in the US. 

 

It it worked here. 

1 hour ago, Basil B said:

In the UK we have laws on selling alcohol and tobacco to under age children, It does not work... 

Do you really believe that LAWS are what guide the decision making process of teens? Kinda sad if you truly believe that.

Let's hope that this serves as an example for many other countries ...

2 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

Let's hope that this serves as an example for many other countries ...

Including Thailand, just passed a bill to start decriminalization.

Behind this new venture there is a whole bunch of do and don't they do not talk about that, They were growing pot for a long time and now the government think he will be rich "Dream on" a bit like the Cartel of Columbia now it is the Canada that will be into a drug market.

No room for any good outcome here.

10 minutes ago, mettech said:

Behind this new venture there is a whole bunch of do and don't they do not talk about that, They were growing pot for a long time and now the government think he will be rich "Dream on" a bit like the Cartel of Columbia now it is the Canada that will be into a drug market.

No room for any good outcome here.

You mean like the disaster that didn't happen in Colorado?

14 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I am always proud to be Canadian.

 

That said, I am prouder than normal at the moment.

 

Well Done!

Hear, Hear! Me too. Good on Young Justin. He did it for the right reason too. People, especially young people should not have to carry a criminal record the rest of their lives for being caught possessing something a mild as pot. This also says something about Conservatives who voted against it.

9 hours ago, wanderluster said:

when i was a teenager in canada in the 70s, it was always easier to get mariquana than alcohol. Everyone knew the dealers at school but who was going to show up with 10 cases of beer for sale.

Same for me with pot and drugs a lot heavier than that.

11 hours ago, Colabamumbai said:

Including Thailand, just passed a bill to start decriminalization.

yes great' i dont smoke myself , it's a shame america wanted it criminalised most western and asian countries were forced by political pressure dea etc to follow suit, even though they had grown,smoked for centuries all to keep tobacco industry happy?  America has been slowly decriminalise under pharmaceutical uses pain etc,. all knew was not an issue just no money in it at the time for tobacco companies 'happy days are here again for tobacco industry ?? will the release millions of prisoners charged on cannabis dealing, swiftly incarcerated? just another slave labor institution sweatshops "' microsoft is 1 of many companies using prisioners to make their goods for a buck a day.

Edited June 21, 20188 yr by Mad mick

22 hours ago, Colabamumbai said:

Me too.

Just got to ask you or any readers , what is it like to smoke cannabis and  what are the highs and are there lows ?

Also I am told there are various types and strengths to be had , Sorry if I sound naive but interested to know .

 

Thailand is now considering legalising cannabis but not electric cigs , can you understand that ?

1 hour ago, superal said:

Also I am told there are various types and strengths to be had

They're all good, also hash and opium.

Same 'mellow' feelings, just in different strengths.

(I only do it in places where it's legal)

Pot is not the answer to  feed the taxpayer with smoke screen view. How about to find out who will be stone. Say while you are flying ( pilots and crew)  even police officer?? judges ?? doctors?? with Politicians at their best behaviour.??

Do not trust any one no more look at their eyes and if the iris is as big as a cat one they are stone.

2 hours ago, mettech said:

Pot is not the answer to  feed the taxpayer with smoke screen view. How about to find out who will be stone. Say while you are flying ( pilots and crew)  even police officer?? judges ?? doctors?? with Politicians at their best behaviour.??

Do not trust any one no more look at their eyes and if the iris is as big as a cat one they are stone.

Well, there you go, you will have full time employment determining whose stoned!

5 hours ago, mettech said:

Pot is not the answer to  feed the taxpayer with smoke screen view. How about to find out who will be stone. Say while you are flying ( pilots and crew)  even police officer?? judges ?? doctors?? with Politicians at their best behaviour.??

Do not trust any one no more look at their eyes and if the iris is as big as a cat one they are stone.

Sorry, but this sounds like it was written by someone who was really, really stoned.

They probably voted it in cos they are all on it....

7 minutes ago, transam said:

They probably voted it in cos they are all on it....

Not likely. The politician in charge of getting the law passed use to be the chief of the largest city police force in the country. It was a stupid law that needed changing. 

Edited June 22, 20188 yr by pegman

1 minute ago, pegman said:

Not likely. The politian in charge of getting the law passed use to be the chief of the largest city police force in the country. It was a stupid law that needed changing. 

The world want to ban smoking ciggy use everywhere but now it is OK to smoke ciggies with dope in ...

4 minutes ago, transam said:

The world want to ban smoking ciggy use everywhere but now it is OK to smoke ciggies with dope in ...

Cigs are additive. Back 40 years ago when I smoked pot I would have maybe 2 doobies a week. At my worse I was smoking 3 packs, 75 cigs + a day. I don't think the pot harmed me but my cig addiction would have killed me had I not stopped. Also pot has medicinal properties and tobacco has none.

24 minutes ago, pegman said:

Cigs are additive. Back 40 years ago when I smoked pot I would have maybe 2 doobies a week. At my worse I was smoking 3 packs, 75 cigs + a day. I don't think the pot harmed me but my cig addiction would have killed me had I not stopped. Also pot has medicinal properties and tobacco has none.

I smoke a ciggy that most definitely has medicinal properties for my gray cells...