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News > World

Canada: Legal Marijuana Sales to Start on October 17

  • Legalization has already been delayed from the government's initially planned July launch.

    Legalization has already been delayed from the government's initially planned July launch. | Photo: Reuters

Published 20 June 2018
Opinion

The Senate voted 52-29 in favor of the revised bill from the elected House of Commons.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says recreational marijuana will be legal in Canada as of October 17, when the first sales will take place. Trudeau announced the move during question period in the House of Commons before it went into recess Wednesday.

RELATED:

Canada Passes Bill Legalizing Recreational Cannabis

The implementation of the legislation has been delayed beyond the government's initially planned July launch to allow for provinces and territories to prepare security and other regimes.

The Senate voted 52-29 in favor of the revised bill from the elected House of Commons, paving the way for an entirely legal cannabis market within eight to 12 weeks.

Trudeau's Liberals had made legalizing recreational use of marijuana as part of their successful 2015 election campaign, arguing the new law would keep pot out of the hands of underage users and reduce related crime.

"It's been too easy for our kids to get marijuana - and for criminals to reap the profits. Today, we change that. Our plan to legalize & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate," Trudeau said in a tweet.

As the first major economy to fully legalize cannabis, Canada's regulatory rollout will be closely watched by other nations considering the same path - and by global investors, who have already poured billions into Canadian marijuana firms.

Canadian marijuana companies like Canopy Growth Corp, Aphria Inc, Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF and Aurora Cannabis Inc have been at the center of investor frenzy surrounding attempts to legalize marijuana for recreational use nationwide.

Legalization has already been delayed from the government's initially planned July launch.

While production of cannabis is regulated by the federal government, provinces and cities have more powers over retail sales either through private or government-owned stores.

"I'm feeling just great," CBC News quoted Tony Dean, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, as saying. "The end of 90 years of prohibition. Transformative social policy, I think. A brave move on the part of the government."

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