Canada Legalizes Marijuana & Intends to Pardon Previous Offenders: 'It Was Extremely Emotional'
Canada became only the second country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana on Wednesday, preceded only by Uruguay.
Canada allows provinces to determine age requirements and marketing restrictions, according to Business Insider. The government said on Wednesday that it is aiming to facilitate the pardon process for people who were jailed for having small quantities of marijuana, The New York Times reported.
“We will make the application process as simple as it can be,” said Ralph Goodale, the public safety minister, according to the newspaper. He said that getting rid of the waiting time and the fee that the pardon process currently demands is “a matter of basic fairness.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who pushed for the legislation, tweeted, “Profits out of the hands of criminals. Protection for our kids. Today #cannabis is legalized and regulated across Canada.”
Profits out of the hands of criminals. Protection for our kids. Today #cannabis is legalized and regulated across Canada. pic.twitter.com/0ZxtohOHG0
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 17, 2018
On Wednesday, 111 marijuana stores will open their doors in Canada, according to an Associated Press survey.
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Some spots in Canada went into celebration mode at midnight, the AP reported. Hundreds of people turned up at a store in St. John’s, Newfoundland, to buy marijuana.
“I am living my dream. Teenage Tom Clarke is loving what I am doing with my life right now,” Tom Clarke, who is opening a marijuana shop in Newfoundland, told TIME.
Bruce Linton, who runs the marijuana company Canopy Growth, told the AP, “It was extremely emotional.”
Linton added, “Several people who work for us have been working on this for their entire adult life and several of them were in tears.”
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“I’m having a plaque made with the date and time and everything. This is never actually going to be smoked. I’m going to keep it forever,” Ian Power, who bought marijuana in St. John’s, told CNN.
It remains illegal to travel to or from Canada with marijuana, according to CNN. Recreational marijuana usage is legal in nine American states and Washington, D.C.
