Canadian grasslands

Celine Cooper on Justin Trudeau’s unprecedented move to legalize marijuana

The World Today
2 minute READ

Under a new law that comes into effect on October 17, 2018, Canadians over the age of 18 will be able to buy and consume marijuana legally. Bill C-45 overturns close to a century of prohibition and is a transformative policy measure without precedent. Uruguay, nine US states, as well as the District of Columbia, have legalized marijuana for recreational use, but Canada will become the first federation, and the first G7 country, to do so at a national level.

Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government first pledged to legalize marijuana in their 2015 election platform, framing their approach along the lines of harm reduction, youth protection and countering the negative effects of over-criminalization for drug-related offences.

Subscribe to read all issues

Articles from the current issue are free to read by all, the archive is exclusive to magazine subscribers and our members. Subscribe or become a member to view articles from the archive.