Canada Lawmakers vote to legalize Recreational Marijuana

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on June 19, 2018.

The Canadian House of Commons on Monday voted to legalize recreational marijuana.

The Canadian in the House of Commons lawmakers voted 205-82 a bill that would allow free consumption of the mind-altering drug.

The lawmakers accepted some of the Senate’s proposed amendments on the bill, sending the bill back to the upper chamber for continued debate and a final decision.

The bill is most likely to receive royal assent by the Governor General before becoming law, likely by September.

The bill would lift a 95-year-old ban on recreational marijuana.

With this, Canada will also be the first G7 country to regulate production, possession and sale of marijuana to Canadians over the age of 18.

Parliamentary Secretary Bill Blair last week had informed that the government will legalize marijuana in September only if the legislation to legalize marijuana passes by the end of the week as the House of Commons is slate to adjourn for the summer on June 22.

In an interview on CTV’s Question Period, Blair had said, "Upon Royal Assent a decision will be made by the government as to a date of implementation."

"We're probably looking at a date of implementation somewhere towards the beginning of September, perhaps mid-September,” he added.

The House of Commons, however, turned down some of the Senate's proposed amendments, including a ban on pot producers selling branded merchandise and giving provinces the power to ban homegrown marijuana.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has acknowledged smoking a joint with friends "five or six times" including since being elected as an MP, had promised during his 2015 election campaign to legalize the weed.

Regulated medical marijuana has been legal in Canada since 2001.

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