Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, announced on Tuesday that the country has legalized recreational marijuana use. The announcement came after the country’s two legislative chambers approved the Cannabis Act.
In posts on his twitter handle, written in English and French, the two official languages of the North American country, the Prime Minister described the new law as a ‘Promise Kept’.
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. #PromiseKept
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 20, 2018
Il est trop facile pour nos enfants d’obtenir de la marijuana et pour les criminels d’en tirer profit. Aujourd’hui, nous changeons cela. Notre plan visant à légaliser et à réglementer la marijuana vient d’être adopté par le Sénat. #PromesseTenue
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 20, 2018
According to reports, the bill will allow anyone over the age of 18 to possess no more than 30 grams of marijuana. It will also allow adults to sell cannabis as well as grow up to four plants in their home. Canada now becomes the second country in the world after Uruguay to legalize recreational marijuana use, and the first G7 nation to do so.
“We’ve just witnessed a historic vote for Canada. The end of 90 years of prohibition. Transformative social policy, I think. A brave move on the part of the government,” the bill’s sponsor Sen. Tony Dean is quoted to have told CBC. “Now we can start to tackle some of the harms of cannabis. We can start to be proactive in public education. We’ll see the end of criminalization and we can start addressing Canada’s $7 billion illegal markets. These are good things for Canada.”
The law will go legal within 8-12 weeks allowing provinces, municipalities, law enforcement, and other entities to prepare for the new law.
In Nigeria, the sale or use of marijuana is a serious crime that attracts a fine or jail term and even both, depending on the quantity and circumstances surrounding any arrest.