Canada becomes second nation in the world to legalize marijuana
Recreational marijuana use will soon be legal in Canada after the Senate passed a "historic" bill on Tuesday with a vote of 52-29. Canada is only the second country in the world -- and the first G7 nation -- to implement legislation to permit a nationwide marijuana market. In the neighboring US, nine states and the District of Columbia now allow for recreational marijuana use, and 30 allow for medical use.
Bill C-45, otherwise known as the Cannabis Act, stems from a campaign pledge of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to keep marijuana away from underage users and reduce related crime. The act to legalize the recreational use of weed was first introduced on April 13, 2017, and was later passed at the House of Commons in November. The Senate passage of the bill was the final hurdle in the process.
Uruguay was the first country to legalize marijuana's production, sale and consumption in December 2013.
Also at CBC, BBC, NPR, Reuters, and The Guardian.
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Canada signs on to U.S.-led renewal of war on drugs
Canada was rebuked on Monday by a group of world leaders and experts on drug policy for endorsing a Trump-led declaration renewing the "war on drugs" and for passing up a critical moment to provide global leadership on drug regulation.
The Trudeau government's decision to sign on to the declaration, released by the White House on the sidelines of U.S. President Donald Trump's first attendance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, contradicts Ottawa's previous skepticism of Washington's drugs war at home and abroad, and comes just weeks before cannabis legalization in Canada.
Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark said she believed that both Canada and Mexico − which also signed the declaration even though president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has repeatedly said that the "war on drugs" has failed and he will pursue new policy − likely have signed on reluctantly, held hostage by the North American free-trade agreement talks in Washington, over which a critical deadline looms.
Countries that signed the "Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem" were promised an invitation for their leader to attend a kick-off event with Mr. Trump in New York. The statement was not drafted in the usual multilateral process of a declaration from the UN and the wording was presented as non-negotiable. One hundred and thirty countries signed but 63 did not; the dissenters include major U.S. allies such as Germany, Norway and Spain.
Previously: Canada Becomes the Second Nation to Legalize Cannabis
Related: WP says Marijuana Legalization Makes World a Better Place
Recreational cannabis is now legal in Canada... to a point. Here are some ground rules:
Adults of at least 18 years old will be allowed to carry and share up to 30 grams of legal marijuana in public, according to a bill that passed the Senate in June. They will also be allowed to cultivate up to four plants in their households and make products such as edibles for personal use.
[...] The supply of recreational marijuana could be limited, at least early on, in some stores. Officials in Nova Scotia and Manitoba said they won't have a large selection, at least not on the first day, CNN affiliate CBC News reported. [...] Marijuana will not be sold in the same location as alcohol or tobacco. Consumers are expected to purchase the drug from retailers regulated by provinces and territories or from federally licensed producers when those options are not available.
[...] Authorities will soon announce plans to pardon Canadians who have been convicted with possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana, CNN partner CTV reported. The production, distribution or sale of cannabis products will still be an offense for minors.
Why is Canada running out of marijuana?
Cannabis retailers in Canada began to run low on supplies from the very first day of legalisation a month ago. How long are shortages expected to continue as the new market for recreational cannabis finds its feet?
In the early days of legalisation, James Burns was confident his company had enough product on the shelves of its five new cannabis retail stores, even though they only received half of their order from the provincial supplier. Now, he has had staff refreshing the government supply website in the early hours to snap up scarce new stock as soon as it's available, and is considering restricting store hours.
"While there was product to order we were very comfortably getting a large amount of it," says Burns, the CEO of Alcanna, a company that owns a chain of private liquor stores in Canada and the US and, now, cannabis stores in the province of Alberta. "But obviously, when there's literally none there, it doesn't matter how big you are, there's just none there. If the government warehouse is empty, it's empty. There's nothing you can do."
[...] A report released in early October by the CD Howe Institute, a Toronto-based economic think tank, estimates that the current legal supply will meet about 30% to 60% of total demand in the first months of legalisation. But people in the industry say the scarcity is worse than expected. "Everybody knew this was going to happen," says Burns. "Probably, frankly, not this quick and this starkly."
Patrick Wallace, owner of Waldo 420 in Medicine Hat, Alberta, predicts it will be a year to 18 months before supply matches demand. "We're riding on our initial investment of stock from a few weeks back," he says. "So we're OK now but it's not sustainable."
Previously: Canada Becomes the Second Nation to Legalize Cannabis
Peter Thiel's Cannabis Company Was Briefly Worth More Than Twitter
Hostage to NAFTA? Canada Signs on to War on Drugs Despite Recent Cannabis Legalization
Cannabis Becomes Legal in Canada
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Thursday June 21 2018, @10:08AM (7 children)
He just wanted to be able to smoke it legally, but "OMG, think of the children!"
Would rather he'd reformed the electoral system: you know....done something important to help Canadians.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Thursday June 21 2018, @10:10AM (5 children)
http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/06/20/canada-marijuana-industry-legalization [wbur.org]
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(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 21 2018, @11:13AM (4 children)
Until Canopy realise that they too can offshore jobs.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday June 21 2018, @11:18AM (3 children)
Not if Canada restricts the import of cannabis.
Now if you had said those Canuck workers will eventually be replaced with robots, then you might have a point.
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(Score: 3, Touché) by Oakenshield on Thursday June 21 2018, @12:58PM (2 children)
But. But. But. That's protectionism. It'll start a trade war. It's morally wrong for a leader to protect his people's livelihoods and industries.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday June 21 2018, @01:01PM (1 child)
Open borders :^)
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 21 2018, @03:26PM
No borders! They are prison walls designed to prop up the slave trade.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Thursday June 21 2018, @11:42AM
Well for once "think of the children" actually did some good. I'm also checking for flying pigs.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday June 21 2018, @10:08AM (2 children)
New anthem [youtube.com]
(air horns blare)
Canada Is Fertile Ground For The Global Marijuana Industry [wbur.org]
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(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 21 2018, @10:45AM
yes, we must not allow a marijuana gap !!!!!
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Thursday June 21 2018, @02:54PM
What's this "O Canada" business? I thought the real Canadian national anthem went more like this (with updated lyrics, of course, sorry Stan Rodgers):
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 21 2018, @11:00AM (7 children)
The US needs to export more agricultural products and Canada is helping by creating a nationwide market for munchies.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Thursday June 21 2018, @11:05AM (6 children)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hec.3267 [wiley.com]
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(Score: 3, Insightful) by cubancigar11 on Thursday June 21 2018, @11:29AM (5 children)
I was always amazed by the focus on munchies. I know it is real, having been a habitual smoker myself, but most of the really addicted people I know are bordering-to-malnutrished thin. May be because they smoke all of the money they have and don't earn a lot either. I personally gained weight, but in this regard I am the only outlier I know of in my friend circle.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 21 2018, @11:58AM (1 child)
Few heavy pot smokers eat properly. There's no nutritional benefit to skipping meals and snacking on unhealthy shit.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday June 21 2018, @12:03PM
You haven't linked pot smoking to unhealthy eating.
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(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Thursday June 21 2018, @02:02PM (1 child)
Define addicted and habitual. I smoke daily and can go for days without smoking. Then again, i'm not heavy daily. usually two to three small bowls a night which is two puffs each (I only really smoke at night to sleep). I know few daily smokers who are thin but they are physically active (sports). I have personally lost a lot of weight since smoking but that is attributed to my heavy handed attack on sugar and other carb intakes which I started just over a year ago, six months after beginning my nightly sleep smoking. Though I do suppose marijuana could have helped. There is evidence it can increase metabolism. Win in my book.
No.
check your diet.
(Score: 2) by cubancigar11 on Friday June 22 2018, @04:04AM
Okay I will tell you what I mean. The extreme case I knew, was a friend of a friend who was working in a software company back in the golden ages and had absolutely no work assigned to him, so he just picked up smoking as something to do when not doing anything else. He would get up and smoke a couple of joints and come to office, having several joints in his pack of cigarettes. Then he will smoke just before the lunch, in the evening, and then after coming back to home he will smoke until the 12:00pm or so.
Soon after he picked up reading all about yogis and babas and suddenly we heard he has resigned from the office and left. Later we learned he went to India chasing some baba who offered him a good place to live in exchange for his knowlege of English, but that wasn't according to his taste so he went to some poor village and asked around for manual work, but the villagers told him that he is an addict and lost his way and he should instead try to go back to work, so then he joined an NGO but then realized the NGO was a front to inject bribe-cash back into bank, which is when I met him.
He was thin as a stick, had lost all his hair and his possessions involved 3-4 joints, a couple 100 bucks, and some books about some guru who has been alive since 1000 years or so, who he was going to meet.
Then there are friends who smoke hash all weekend, and every evening on weekdays. All of them are lanky as f. All of them, and they have absolutely perfect blood pressure etc. too. Some of them are younger but not studious, others older and quite successful.
Of course, but what I meant was that I simply started eating more because I normally eat more when the food is good, and after smoking all the food started tasting good :)
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Thursday June 21 2018, @05:34PM
I was always amazed by the focus on munchies.
If we're going to keep weed illegal because of obesity then Ronald McDonald deserves execution by firing squad!
(Score: 2, Troll) by realDonaldTrump on Thursday June 21 2018, @11:07AM (4 children)
I know exactly what he’s doing. With Pocahontas. We’re looking at it. But I probably will end up supporting that, yes.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday June 21 2018, @11:37AM (1 child)
Sounds terrible kinky.... So... what is Senator Gardner doing with Pocahontas... and you looking at it? Looking of what exactly?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2, Troll) by realDonaldTrump on Thursday June 21 2018, @11:56AM
Cory Gardner, R Senator from Colorado. And Liz Warren, D Senator from Mass., I call her Pocahontas. Because she says she's an Indian. Well, she doesn't look Indian to me. And she doesn't look Indian to Indians. But, this is a very BIPARTISAN thing. I love bipartisan. And our great senators are saying, let's leave marihuana up to the states. So if folks are following their state law they won't get in trouble with our terrific federal government. With Mr. Magoo. They call it the STATES ACT. Let me tell you, I'm waiting, pen in hand!!!!
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Thursday June 21 2018, @05:36PM (1 child)
We’re looking at it. But I probably will end up supporting that, yes.
So then why do you select a Reagan era Drug Warrior as the head of the DOJ?
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Thursday June 21 2018, @07:27PM
2016, Mr. Magoo endorsed me after the Iowa caucuses. Before the New Hampshire primary. Almost 6 months before Cory endorsed me, by the way. And he didn't just endorse, he went out there stumping for me at so many rallies. And I thought, wow, this guy's incredibly LOYAL! He's not loyal. Because when I made him my AG, he recused himself from the phony Russia witch hunt. Immediately, he recuses himself. He didn't tell me he was going to recuse himself. He could have told me, he didn't. He's very fake. And I'd love to disappoint him, my lawyers say it could be a big problem if I do. So I have a guy in there that I don't really want in there. And there's nothing I can do, folks. Although the Schedule I people, maybe there is..........
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 21 2018, @12:47PM (2 children)
We're not counting the Netherlands for some reason?
I mean, you can get high there from second hand smoke next to the coffee shops, no need to even buy the stuff.
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Thursday June 21 2018, @12:54PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_the_Netherlands [wikipedia.org]
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(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 21 2018, @12:57PM
Indeed, the Netherlands doesn't count as having legalized cannabis [wikipedia.org],
primarily because the production and sale is, for the most part, de jure illegal [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 3, Insightful) by opinionated_science on Thursday June 21 2018, @01:17PM (4 children)
The best thing, is that this frees up resources for clinical trials of MJ derived compounds.
Let's hope the US Fed gets real on this too - perhaps they'll drop EtOH age to match voting and military service....
(Score: 3, Informative) by Spook brat on Thursday June 21 2018, @03:43PM (3 children)
Join the military, and they'll serve you beer at the NCO club as long as you have valid Enlisted ID, down to age 18.
Travel the galaxy! Meet fascinating life forms... And kill them [schlockmercenary.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by sjames on Thursday June 21 2018, @07:51PM (2 children)
Of course, that was a dodge. The actual thought is that if you're considered old enough to fight and perhaps die for your country, and you're considered old enough to elect representatives, you're old enough to make decisions about alcohol.
Unless or until the minimum age for a potential future draft is raised to 21 and likewise the ages for voting and full criminal culpability are raised, the hypocrisy remains.
(Score: 2) by Spook brat on Friday June 22 2018, @12:41PM (1 child)
You are thinking about this the same way the Joint Chiefs are. Unfortunately, they don't have the ability to lower the drinking age nationwide, nor do they have the ability to raise the draft age; both of those powers reside with Congress. What they do have is jurisdiction for enforcing the law on base, and adjusting the Uniform Code of Military Justice as they see fit. Short of Congress making underage drinking a Federal crime and sending FBI goons in to check IDs at the NCO club there is little Capitol Hill can do to stop the military from doing what's right for their service members in this case.
The hypocrisy here lies with the lawmakers who are primarily interested in being re-elected. I guarantee that if a sufficiently widespread campaign were to emerge demanding 21 YO draft/voting/criminal accountability they would suddenly see reason.
Travel the galaxy! Meet fascinating life forms... And kill them [schlockmercenary.com]
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday June 25 2018, @07:15AM
Yes, the military did the right thing. Then the congress critters said (to everyone else) that's close enough and moved on to the panic of the week.
Agreed, the hypocrisy lies with Congress.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by DeathMonkey on Thursday June 21 2018, @05:41PM (1 child)
Just a reminder that the Democrats have introduced a Federal legalization bill. [businessinsider.com]
Vote Dem in the midterms if you want to end prohibition here too!
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 22 2018, @08:17AM
They won't do that for real, because Trump already said he'd sign it. They don't want to let him do that.
The best bet for legalization is people like Rand Paul. Like his father before him, he is a freedom extremist.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Thursday June 21 2018, @05:52PM (1 child)
It's my understanding that Portugal has made use of marijuana not a criminal offense considerably previous to Canada, and possibly to Uruguay.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Aiwendil on Thursday June 21 2018, @06:56PM
As already pointed about (about netherlands/holland above) decriminalization is not the same as legalisation.
So - two countries with it legalized, a bunch of countries/admininstrative areas with it decriminalized
(Score: 5, Funny) by DannyB on Thursday June 21 2018, @06:52PM (1 child)
It's about high time.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 21 2018, @09:01PM
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/high-time [dictionary.com]
You mixed up "Its high time" with "Its about time", but that just goes to show my level of boredom nitpicking that one.