Canada: Cannabis will be legal in October, says PM Justin Trudeau
Ottawa, Jun 21 (IBNS): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said cannabis will be legal in the country on Oct 17, media reports said.
Trudeau made the comment during the question-answer period in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
The PM said the provinces need more time before the implementation of the bill C-45.
Trudeau has been quoted by CTV News, "We heard from provinces and territories who told us they needed more time to transition to this new framework, so our government will continue to work in full partnership with them, to ensure the smooth and orderly implementation of this new law across Canada."
After years of debate, the Canadian parliament on Tuesday passed a nationwide law legalising the use of recreational marijuana or cannabis.
During the senate vote, the motion received 52 pro votes while 29 members voted against the move.
By virtue of the order, Canada became the second country in the world, after Uruguay, to legalise cannabis for recreational use.
However, Canada has been using cannabis medically since 2001.
The authorities have also stated that buying cannabis from unlicensed dealer or growing more than four plants per household will be treated as illegal.
A buyer will need to be at least 18 years or older to obtain it from licensed stores, while some Canadian provinces have set up the age limit to 19.
Cannabis-infused foods will not be available now, but is expected to take a year from the time the bill comes into effect. Within this gap, the government is expected to set up the system.
(Reporting by Suman Das)
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