Canada to make sale of marijuana legal

Canada’s health minister Jane Philpott has announced that the government will introduce legislation to make the sale of marijuana legal next year.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed for legalisation during his electoral campaign. The move would make Canada one of the largest Western countries to allow widespread use of the drug.

Responding to concerns, Philpott pledged to keep marijuana “out of the hands of children and profits out of the hands of criminals”, during an announcement on the 20th of April. The day is in fact recognized as an unofficial holiday among cannabis advocates.

Canada already accepts medical use of the drug, and some argue that making marijuana legal would significantly cut down the demand and strain on the country’s justice system.

"We will work with law enforcement partners to encourage appropriate and proportionate criminal justice measures," Philpott said.

The announcement was met with a demonstration outside Parliament on Ottawa, involving hundreds of marijuana users.

Critics oppose the change, saying that it could potentially harm the people’s health, but a former Toronto police chief appointed as the government's point person on legalisation (Bill Blair), argues that marijuana regulation will be similar to that of alcohol.

“We control who it's sold to, when it's sold and how it's used, and organised crime doesn't have the opportunity to profit from it,” he told Reuters.