Canada: After The Ban On Marijuana Is Lifted

Cannabis sales outlets are crowded

On October 17, in Newfoundland, Canada's easternmost province, a large number of people braved the cold and waited in line at midnight to be the first to legally buy marijuana. Outside marijuana shops across the country, surging crowds can be seen winding for several blocks.

Some of the people who bought marijuana took time off to celebrate legalization. Graham excitedly told Radio Canada International (RCI) that in the future he wouldn't have to secretly buy marijuana through friends. "I can legally smoke marijuana, safely and openly, no longer sneaky, I'm very happy!"

There are more people buying marijuana online than the crowd at the scene. The North American youth culture website "VICE" describes the incredibly busy online store, which is the main choice for most consumers in the country; That night, almost all of the customers were in trouble – products sold out, payments failed, and sometimes the entire website crashed.

According to Canada's "Globe and Mail", Newfoundland's Ian Bower became the first person in Canada to legally buy marijuana in nearly a century, and he came to wait outside the store at 8:30 p.m. on the 16th, winning the first place among more than 130 people in line. "I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm laughing non-stop, and I'm not afraid of the cold at all. It's invincible cold outside, but I don't think so. However, the 46-year-old man said that he did not smoke marijuana and competed to be the "first person" just to keep a souvenir.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported that most brick-and-mortar retailers were out of stock within the first 24 hours, disappointing customers who had been queuing for hours. In Quebec, someone told the CBC with a full deal of grievance: "For me, the score is now one point for the black market and zero points for the government." "

Marijuana at a retailer in the province sold out at 4 p.m. on the 17th, and the owner, Thomas Clark, previously believed that the stock would last at least until the 19th. "That's bad news. I sold out at 4:20pm today, believe it or not. "I was shocked, I didn't expect it to sell so quickly, and I was sad at the same time." I don't have enough to supply to everyone and disappoint a lot of customers. "

Canada breaks the 95-year ban

This restrictive law has been in Canada for 95 years since the cannabis ban was issued in 1923, and repealing it is one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's signature policies. According to the Associated Press, in June this year, after the Canadian Senate voted 52 in favor and 29 against to pass the "historic marijuana bill", Trudeau immediately tweeted: "For a long time, minors in our country have easy access to marijuana, and the profits of the marijuana industry have been divided among criminals." The bill to legalize and regulate marijuana has just officially passed the Senate. The tweet was followed by the hashtag "Promise Fulfilled", and the introduction of the bill was exactly what Trudeau promised during the campaign.

Canadian officials have named "recreational marijuana" Cannabis, rather than the more familiar Marijuana. According to the new regulations, residents are at home, except in some areas