Canada Legalizes Marijuana Tomorrow; What It Means For Us

DETROIT, MI — Wednesday our Canadian neighbors will become the second country in the world to legalize marijuana for recreational use and it comes just three weeks before Michigan voters cast their own ballots on the issue here.

But what does it mean for Michiganders that Canada is legalizing pot? Well, for starters, it doesn’t mean going over for a trip to smoke. For the launch phase in Canada, a Canadian address is required for the sale. So far, the sales are also just online. But according to reports, by next spring should be in retail stores.

Also, unlike in the U.S., where many types of products are available, Canada is for now allowing sales of only dried cannabis flower, tinctures, capsules and seeds. Marijuana-infused foods and concentrates are expected to be available in about a year, according to reports.

Federal taxes will total $1 per gram or 10 percent, whichever is more. The feds will keep one-quarter of that and return the rest to the provinces, which can add their own markups. Consumers also will pay local sales taxes.

The Detroit Free Press reported that the issue has been in the works since the early 2000s.

“The momentum to legalize marijuana has been building since at least 2001, when Canada became the first nation to allow it for medical purposes. The push for recreational pot started soon after,” they reported. “By 2015, a survey showed that about 12 percent of all Canadians, including 25 percent of people ages 15-24, admitted to using it in the previous year.”

That year, according to the report, Justin Trudeau made it a key point of his campaign, arguing that prohibition was clogging the court system with nonviolent offenders and enriching criminal enterprises. When Trudeau's Liberal Party swept to power that year, he promised to legalize it as soon as possible.

The formal legalization is the culmination of changes in both law and attitudes, the Free Press said.

Expect some hiccups at the border, too, reports warn.

While authorities have placed signs on the Canadian side of the border alerting travelers that it remains illegal to bring marijuana into the U.S., some may not realize they can be barred from crossing for admitting to marijuana use. The same goes for those who tell U.S. authorities they work in the legal Canadian industry.

Read more at the Detroit Free Press

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