Following approval of legislation in Canada’s Senate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canadians will be able to consume marijuana recreationally without criminal penalties beginning on October 17, 2018.
"One of the things that we heard very clearly from the provinces is that they need a certain amount of time to get their bricks and mortar stores — their online sales — ready. Producers need time to be able to actually prepare for a regimented and successful implementation of the regime ... This is something that we want to get right," Prime Minister Trudeau told reporters at a press conference Wednesday before Parliament breaks for its summer recess.
"By giving the provinces more time to ensure that they are fully ready for the day of coming into force of this legislation, it will be a smooth success in all the ways that we can hope for."
While the federal government was responsible for the bill that legalizes recreational marijuana, the practical details of implementing legalization have been left to the provinces and territories.
As is common in the Canadian system of federalism, each province has taken a different approach — and some are more prepared than others. New Brunswick, for example, has already built its first retail storefront, while Nunavut only passed its legal framework this week.
The government has long said there would be a buffer of eight to 12 weeks between the bill's passage and full legalization to allow provinces to get their systems up and running to sell recreational marijuana from storefronts. The October 17 date is 17 weeks away.
The Senate passed a contentious bill to legalize pot earlier this week. Senators passed Bill C-45, the federal government's bill to legalize recreational marijuana, by a 52-29 vote with two abstentions.
