Mores and perceptions evolve over the years and there are many topics that were taboo now become quite debatable. It is now the turn of cannabis to gradually leave the ban area to gradually normalize. The first country to legalize the plant was Uruguay and it is now Canada that second in this initiative.
An exceptional day in Canadian history
Hundreds of Canadians took to the streets of various cities across the country on October 17, to celebrate the legalization of recreational use of Marijuana after a prohibition that lasted nearly a century. As a result, Canada becomes the first industrialized country to legalize the plant last Wednesday, as a result of a two-year push by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to eliminate the black market and oversee sales. within a regulated system.
Cannabis users seem to have already adopted this new situation, which explains the impressive queues that have formed before most of the 111 legal stores that were able to open in the country. We could see all these cannabis consumers spitting smoke on the sidewalks using products that were probably bought from black market vendors, while waiting for the legal version.
Information and awareness measures should be taken
But it seems that the message is not well received by everyone. That's why the Toronto police on Wednesday launched an awareness campaign to warn people that they should stop contacting the authorities to ask them to intervene because a neighbor is using cannabis because is now legal.
The police have also released a series of humorous tweets featuring people calling 911 for abject reasons in order to get the message across.
In one of the tweets, you could see a woman looking at her refrigerator where he said: "Wanting to know what you need to do with your frozen meat during a power outage is not a reason to call the 911. Well, feeling the smell of grass coming from your neighbor's house is not one either. "
There was also a part of the tweets that stipulated that it is legal to use marijuana wherever smoking is normally allowed, except for motorized vehicles. A clarification was made about the people who can consume, namely those aged at least 19 years.
An immediate and organized provision of cannabis
Despite the shortage of stores in Canada's largest cities, consumers will also be able to order legal marijuana online, whether through provincially-managed websites or online retailers. possession of a license, however the delivery takes place only a few days later.
Newfoundland and Labrador was the first province to launch legal sales by midnight. As a result, cannabis lovers will be spoiled for choice in terms of stores, with 22 outlets open between 9am and 2pm.
Several countries around the world, many of which have only endorsed the use of this plant for medical purposes, are closely monitoring the legalization of the field in Canada through a process where federal rules are associated with different provincial regulations.
Political and economic issues
This decision represents an obvious political victory for Justin Trudeau, who pledged to legalize cannabis during his 2015 election campaign in order to transfer the profits of organized crime to a legal sector, which obviously involves the regulation of production, the distribution and consumption of this product consumed by millions of Canadians.
Provinces and companies having struggled to prepare, effective legalization was postponed and would not take place in early July to allow the establishment of distribution networks and marketing.
As legalization approaches, marijuana-producing companies have seen a decline in value as they have entered into business agreements in the past, and the product has now become public, creating a frenzy at home. Investors.
This decision by the Canadian government will not only affect the country, but will most likely be the beginning of a global challenge to the position of the law vis-à-vis the different uses of this grass full of surprises.
