Pot sales get the green light
Canadians celebrate new era of legalised cannabis use
Canada has become the largest country with a legal national marijuana marketplace as sales began last night in Newfoundland.
And Canada will pardon all those with convictions for possessing up to 30 grams of cannabis, the now-legal threshold.
An official, who was not authorised to speak publicly ahead of a formal announcement today, said those who want to take advantage of the pardons would have to apply.
Canada has had legal medical marijuana since 2001 and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Government has spent two years working toward expanding that to include so-called recreational marijuana. The goal is to better reflect society’s changing opinion about marijuana and bring black market operators into a regulated system.
Uruguay was first was the first country to legalise marijuana.
Tom Clarke, an illegal pot dealer for three decades, was among the first to make a legal sale in Canada when his store opened at midnight local time in Portugal Cove, Newfoundland. He made his first sale to his dad and a lineup of about 50 to 100 people waited outside his shop.
“This is awesome. I’ve been waiting my whole life for this. I served my Dad,” Clarke said. “I am so happy to be living in Canada right now instead of south of the border.”
His Dad, Don, said he was thrilled he was among the first customers of legal cannabis. “It’s been a long time coming,” he said.
At least 111 legal pot shops were expected to open overnight across the nation of 37 million people, with many more to come, according to an Associated Press survey of the provinces.
Canadians also can order marijuana products through websites run by provinces or private retailers and have it delivered to their homes by mail.
Alberta and Quebec have set the minimum age for purchase at 18, while others have made it 19.
No stores will open in Ontario, which includes Toronto. It is working on its regulations and doesn’t expect stores until next year.
Ryan Bose, 48, a Lyft driver in Toronto, said it’s about time.
“Alcohol took my grandfather and it took his youngest son, and weed has taken no one from me ever,” he said.
A patchwork of regulations has spread in Canada as each province takes its own approach within the framework set out by the federal Government. Some are operating government-run stores, some are allowing private retailers, some both.
Canada’s national approach has allowed for unfettered industry banking, inter-province shipments of cannabis and billions of dollars in investment.
US Customs and Border Protection invited Canadian media to a conference call yesterday so officials could reiterate that marijuana remains illegal under US federal law and that those who are caught at the border with it are subject to arrest and prosecution.
As Canada welcomes legalisation, supply shortages could develop, as happened in some US states when legalisation arrived.
Trevor Fencott, chief executive of Fire and Flower, said his company has 15 Alberta stores staffed and ready to sell marijuana, but the province has supplied only enough product to open three of them.