Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
CANADA IS SET to become the first G7 country to legalise cannabis after politicians yesterday passed a bill that would allow free consumption of the mind-altering drug.
Passed by 205 votes to 82 in the House of Commons, the legislation must still pass the Senate – which could delay, but not block it – and receive royal assent by the governor-general before becoming law, likely by September.
Legalising weed was a 2015 campaign promise of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has acknowledged smoking a joint with friends “five or six times” including since being elected as an MP.
The Liberal government’s pointman on cannabis, Bill Blair, said at the weekend it was “probably looking at a date of implementation somewhere toward the beginning of September, perhaps mid-September”.
Uruguay approved the recreational usage of marijuana five years ago and nine US states and the capital Washington have done so too, but Canada will be the first G7 country to take the step.
An initial 1 July target was set for ending the pot prohibition that dates back to 1923, although it was effectively legalised for medical use nearly two decades ago.
Despite setbacks, Trudeau has insisted his government would move to legalise the production, sale and consumption of the psychoactive drug before facing the electorate again in 2019.
Last week, the government rejected 13 out of 46 amendments to the bill proposed by the Senate after several months of study, with Trudeau’s health minister rising to defend home cultivation of cannabis and branded pot swag.
“Canadians are allowed to make beer at home, or wine,” Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said at the time.
It is already possible for Canadians to grow cannabis for medical purposes and we absolutely believe the legislation should be consistent when it comes to recreational cannabis.
The government, she said, would follow its expert panel’s recommendation to allow at-home cultivation of up to four pot plants for personal use.
As for the proposed advertising restrictions, she said the bill already contains limits such as a requirement for plain packaging.
Cannabis trendsetter?
Once the law is enacted, Canadians over the age of 18 (19 in some regions) will be able to buy a gram of pot for about Can$10 (€6.50) or less, from a patchwork of authorised private and public retail stores or by mail order, with each province and territory responsible for setting up distribution.
Personal possession will be limited to 30 grams (one ounce).
Statistics Canada has estimated that the market will be worth Can$5.7 billion (€3.7 billion), based on last year’s consumption data.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau estimated the cannabis tax haul will be about Can$400 million (€260 million), but Ottawa has agreed to retain only 25% of these monies, with the rest going into provincial government coffers.
In an interview with AFP last month, Trudeau said the world was closely watching Canada’s pot plans and predicted other countries might follow suit.
“There is a lot of interest from our allies in what we’re doing,” he said.
They recognise that Canada is being daring… and recognise that the current regime (of prohibition) does not work, that it’s not preventing young people from having easy access to cannabis.
The prime minister argued that creating a regulated market would take the drug out of the hands of crime groups and “better protect communities and children”.
Yet he added the allies he spoke with ahead of a recent G7 summit in Quebec “are interested in seeing how things go… before they try it”, without specifying which nations.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Fair play to them
@Hardly Normal: 28grams in an ounce too unless your seller is generous …
@Hardly Normal: 28.35 actually!
@Shougeki: fair play to you too bud :-)
They have the right idea. Should do the same in Ireland. Tax it, legalism it and reduce drug gang wars in the process! Maybe the whole country would mellow out a bit :)
@Jenny Kelleher: you will be waiting a long time for our regressive politicians to do that.
@Brian O’Donnell: You never know, if they see how much revenue the Canadian government will make from this they might follow suit, Money Talks in Ireland!…
@Jenny Kelleher: US, Colorado. Pop. 5.6m. Tax take on Marijuana since Jan 2014 – $506,000,000.
@Jenny Kelleher: unless you’re prone to mental health issues.
Love the language… ‘Mind altering drug’… Erm….
@Benking23: the author wouldn’teven put his name to the article. Mind altering
@Benking23: alcohol is more mind altering but the government get a cut from its sales
Yes, fair play to them. It will take the Irish government muppets 20 years to catch up. Even the USA have gotten it correct and I usually do not agree with anything that they do.
@Me Ould Flour: The USA haven’t quite got it correct. It’s not legal at a federal level so all the anti-money laundering rules still apply. As such shops selling weed legally in states like Colorado cannot bank the money, and are instead driving cash into property and other items. Additionally, criminals know that large cash quantities are being kept on site, and there are armed security everywhere as a result.
It’s been tolerated for years in states like British Columbia, and I presume the existing groups growing and selling, like the hell’s angels, will go legit. This may still lead to turf wars as the business dwindles, and there’ll still be a market for what will now be bootleg weed.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m pro legalisation, but the ‘tax it, end crime’ argument doesn’t fully stack up. The higher the tax, the bigger the incentive for a black market – just like cigarettes currently.
“mind altering drug” cutting edge journalism as ever right there from the Journal, half youse are probably on the bag every weekend
A step in the right direction, shame our TDs are knuckle draggers
Well done Canada..wake up irish goverment
Legalising drugs will take the power away from the criminals. the government could then use the profits to benefit areas it effects most.
The zombie movies may yet become reality.
@Tom Molloy: you are bring silly now
@Gus Sheridan: being silly……cannabis does not make you into a zombie but alcohol can
@Tom Molloy: Are they a reality now? Irish people already consume a lot of cannabis. I cant speak for all of us but it hasn’t turned me into a zombie. In any case you’d be safe enough. Don’t zombies eat brains?
@Tom Molloy: Time to grow up a bit?
As usual, Ireland will be the last one to the party. Every other country sees the benefits of this “drug”,
In plants we trust!
The sooner our government follow suit the better. The stuff that is been bought on the streets is dangerous. I don’t know how true but some claim its laced in heroin even. If it was legalized at least you know you are buying cannabis.
@colm mc sweeney: Canada’s move sets a substantial precedent. The old model has been thouroughly tried and tested. It is counter-productive.
Even if weed was legalised over here by some divine miracle, I’ve no doubt we would be charged extortionate prices, it wouldn’t be 6.50 per gram.
Some great cannabis social clubs popping up all over Spain in recent years too.
Just back from alicante and had a great time in some of them
Que the usual brigade of substance users. . .
@Martin Critten: *cue
@Martin Critten: you must be referring to the quarter of the country who abuse alcohol binge drinking every weekend
@Derek: He didn’t actually say abusers, he said substance users. But I think he might have done that by mistake.
@Grumpyoldtroll: queue
@Shannon Cassidy: cue
@Shannon Cassidy: *cue
@Shannon Cassidy: check again
@Martin Critten: Is there something wrong with being a substancd user? Have you never used any substances? And what do you mean by usual brigade. There’s no such thing. People from all walks of life, all social strata etc. like to take drugs recreationaly. It’s actually pretty good fun. You should definitely try it. Maybe be cautious if you have any sort of mental or even physical health issues of course.
Even as a former drug-user (I say former, but if you’ve got any…) I’m unconvinced Ireland is mature enough to handle weed legalisation. By that I’m assuming that legalisation will lead to a model similar to Amsterdam and or the states – rather than u won’t be booked for growing your own. Not sure the evidence is in yet on the long term effects of such a move.
@mike scott: agreed. Just look at our attitude towards alcohol.also anyone who thinks legalizing it will reduce drug gangs and their actions are deluded.
@mike scott: What exactly do you think would go wrong with legalisation in Ireland? I cant see a load of people taking it up just cos it’s legal. And neither can i imagine current cannabis users increasing usage just cos it’s legal.
@Mark Gearey: I could see the risk to the mental acuity of future generations of more easily accessible weed and edibles. Kids who are already on an educational slide showing up to class baked off their heads to be ‘mad lads’ etc. Might not come to pass but it’s a risk worth considering and possibly letting the states social experiment show some resulta first.
@mike scott: Jesus, you sure you’re not on something while you comment?
@mike scott: just cause you make the same comment twice doesn’t make it anymore sensible. Let’s try this. Kids who are already on an educational slide turing up at school doing donuts in cars in the car park off their head on alcohol trying to be ‘mad lads”. Let’s ban alcohol & cars to make sure that doesn’t happen. Grand so. Show me the dealer that asks for ID you fool.
@Bearded Grump: u ok Hun?
@mike scott: Instead of waiting for the US social experiment as u call it, why not look at the netherlands. I doubt it has done much damage to their society, to the mental acuity of their youth. These youth on the slide trying to be mad lads- can’t they already get cannabis? You’re basically just remaking your first point that you think consumption would increase or become more reckless if legalised. I doubt that would happen to any significant degree. Not enough to justify prohibition and all the waste that comes with that. And not enough to justify handing a dream business over to criminals.
@mike scott: perhaps not but the evidence is in on our current way of dealing with cannabis and drug use in general and it’s been a total failure by every single measure. Prior to Prohibition of drugs there was no collapse of society. There was no legion of “zombies”. Nearly all the negative effects of modern drug use are a direct result of their status as illegal and the worlds “war on drugs” that has been orchestrated primarily by the USA in contravention of all sound reasoning. There are very particular reasons for this reality and none of them have anything to do with public health.
Free the weed. Tax it, control the quality & quantity. It’s a disgrace it hasn’t been done already.
If only Ireland wasn’t led by knuckle draggers
They government will establish centres for heroin addicts to shoot up in but they won’t legalise cannabis.
I suppose at least there isn’t a picture of some toothless Alsatian chonging a carrot to s-toak the fires of hate. Research is slowly coming through regarding this incredible plant, weather you smoke it or not the benefits to society are already evident, at very least it should be accepted in the sphere of further medical research. We should have a referendum on it. It’s the only way to get anything done here. “mind-altering”… “Caffeine, contained in coffee and other beverages, is the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world. 90% of North American adults consume the substance on a daily basis.”
Good Decision, all the Older generation of smokers will regain a spring in their step, & the younger generation will feel like somebody is stepping on their springs… its all to do with Moderation as opposed to Greed but all that should IRON itself out as soon as the novelty wears thin, you know the way it goes : grab grab grab while you can this won’t last long, ( especially for Canadians ) then they’ll realise its true & get bored $#!ťless with the stuff…
But good move..
A civilised country
“mind altering drug”…………….just like alcohol
@Henry Waddle: and coffee
fair play should be legal everywhere
You can abort your baby, but you cant smoke a joint, my body, my choice, me arse
have your say