Welcome to the newer and slightly greener Canada.
After years of promises, debates, and delays, marijuana is ready for consumption. Recreational cannabis use was legalized in Canada today, opening the doors for businesses and consumers.
Bill C-45, known as the Cannabis Act, received Royal Assent this past summer. It allowed for the legalization and regulation of cannabis across Canada.
Yorkton will have two legal cannabis dispensaries in the city: Fire and Flower (based in Alberta) and 5Buds Cannabis (based in Saskatchewan). The latter store is planning to open some time in 2019. They’re waiting for their new building on Broadway Street East to be completed.
“We’re making sure we’re ready for the community,” said Corey Tyacke, the general manager of retail stores for 5Buds. “We take it very seriously.”
The two stores won a license lottery earlier this year, snagging a chance to operate in the city. While cannabis sale and use is now permissible, stores that operate without a license will technically be breaking the law.
Cannabis legalization doesn’t mean Saskatchewan is now a weed-soaked wild West; there are a buffet of rules and restrictions to cannabis use in the province.
People must be at least 19-years-old to purchase and consume cannabis. Users can carry a maximum of 30 grams of cannabis in public. Canadians who’d prefer to grow their cannabis plants at home can do so, although there is a four plant limit.
Public consumption of cannabis is prohibited or restricted to certain areas, depending on the city. Much like alcohol, there will be a zero-tolerance policy for operating vehicles while under the influence of cannabis.
Tyacke thinks cannabis legalization in Canada will serve as an example in the global community for how to handle decriminalization of certain drugs.
“A lot of countries are looking to [Canada],” he said.
