If you have been reading the headlines in the news over the past couple years it may be giving you a slightly disorienting feeling, perhaps akin to being trapped in some simulation that’s gone horribly wrong, or at least a Sims game where the player walked away for a long time. Headlines about Canada’s legalization of recreational marijuana, the second country behind Uruguay to do so, may have felt like another glitch in the simulation, especially as information from our neighbors to the North have filtered down to us. From New Brunswick’s government cannabis agency posting a tutorial on how to roll a joint to images of Canadians smoking in the street, for an Ohioan it feels a bit like the twilight zone.
Marijuana for recreational use was legalized in Canada on June 19 of this year. This legalization came into effect last week on October 17 with various stipulations and regulations. Only adults will be allowed to access recreational marijuana, and adulthood is defined at age 18 in Quebec and Alberta and age 19 in the rest of the provinces. Adults will be able to possess 30 grams of dried marijuana and a non-dried equivalent which they may share with other adults. This is about 60 regular sized joints for the uninitiated. Adults can also grow four plants in their residence.
Weed was legalized as part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s campaign promises. He stated in a tweet that, “It’s been too easy for our kids to get marijuana—and for criminals to reap the profits.” Essentially, the theory is that if marijuana was legalized there would be less incentive for people on the black market (“drug dealers”) to stay in business and, thus, children would be unable to attain weed. Canada’s marijuana is being sold at a price that is considered fair and competitive with the black market, which many of the celebratory clients of the first legal recreational marijuana shops rejoiced in. Also, this weed is tested for contaminants making it considerably safer for users.
There is controversy, though, as Canada’s medical association is concerned that the legalization of marijuana will lead to an increase of people who smoke marijuana and will cause unintended side-effects. Bernard Le Foll, addiction specialist at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, stated, “There is a clear risk of addiction, and it can produce significant mental health issues if used by the wrong kind of people.”
In the meantime, people are ecstatic about the legalization of marijuana, lining up around the block from recreational weed stores to buy weed or paraphernalia and attending marijuana legalization parties as they smoke the last of their “illegal” weed. In fact, across Canada this week there is a shortage of marijuana as many dispensaries are sold out and are unsure when they will receive more supplies. In fact, the Société Québécoise Du Cannabis (SDQC) that manages the sales of cannabis in Quebec stated that there were 30,000 online orders and 12,500 sales in the stores. They said this was “far exceeding expectations.”
While it is intended that marijuana legalization will lead to an end of the black market, many illegal shops, or shops without license from the Canadian government, are still operating. Some have closed and others are hoping to become licensed in the future. Chief Constable Adam Palmer of the Vancouver Police Department and the President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police said that cracking down on illegal shops and the like will not be their number one concern, citing the larger danger of fentanyl. In good news, those with previous marijuana convictions that would have been legal under the current legislation will be pardoned with time.
To say that Canada is the same as the U.S., just farther north, would be completely unfair as Canada differs from the U.S in language, geography, population makeup, topography and especially in it’s laws, freedoms and healthcare, but there are certainly similarities in the U.S. and Canada both being considered large, political powers with transnational economies with far reaching global effects. Seeing how Canada’s so-called “national experiment” plays out could have significant effects on legalization efforts in the U.S. and around the world.