[dddaver]

Uh..yea! The sooner the better. Aboot time, eh?

Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY 11:38 a.m. EDT October 20, 2015

(Photo: Joe Ahlquist, AP)

7 COMMENTEMAIL

DENVER — Canada's leap to the left in Monday's elections could have the country singing a new anthem: "Oh, Cannabis."
The United States' largest trade partner overwhelmingly selected Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party to run Canada, a sweeping change that may lead to full marijuana legalization for our northern neighbor, which already allows medical pot use.
Trudeau promised that under his leadership Canada would create a system to tax, regulate and sell marijuana, along with stiff penalties for anyone giving pot to children or caught driving while stoned. The Liberal Party's cannabis legalization statement echoes the language used by many U.S. legalization advocates.
"Canada’s current system of marijuana prohibition does not work. It does not prevent young people from using marijuana and too many Canadians end up with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug," the party's position statement says. "To ensure that we keep marijuana out of the hands of children, and the profits out of the hands of criminals, we will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana."

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U.S.-based cannabis activists hailed Trudeau's election as a milestone, suggesting that a day may soon come when cross-border trade talks include not just the Keystone XL pipeline, maple syrup or prescription drugs, but also legal weed. Border states Alaska and Washington have already legalized recreational marijuana use, as have Colorado, Oregon and the District of Columbia.
"It’s no longer a pipe dream to imagine a day when consumers and growers in Washington state and British Columbia, for example, could be ordering each other’s wares on the Internet for cross-border shipment," said Tom Angell, chairman of the pro-legalization Marijuana Majority.
Trudeau earlier this month said he'd begin work to legalize marijuana in Canada "right away" if elected, but declined to specify a timeline for implementation. His campaign told CBC News that it was looking to Colorado as a potential model.

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Colorado permits residents to buy and possess up to an ounce of marijuana at a time, and taxes each sale. Last month the state collected nearly $12 million in marijuana taxes, with the money used to fund school construction and anti-abuse campaigns.
In 2003 and 2004, Canada's Liberal Party offered a proposal to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, but the plan died and a Conservative government took power in 2006. At the time, U.S. officials invoked the specter of prolonged border crossings if Canada changed its laws to permit broader marijuana use.
Since 2001, Canada has permitted medical marijuana use, as do 23 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
Canada's potential move toward recreational legalization could add to a growing international discussion about drug possession and penalties, which has become a major cause for billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, who on Monday renewed his push for the United Nations to back decriminalization of drug use.
"Together with countless other tireless advocates, I’ve for years argued that we should treat drug use as a health issue, not as a crime," Branson wrote on his blog, responding to a draft U.N. proposal. "While the vast majority of recreational drug users never experience any problems, people who struggle with drug addiction deserve access to treatment, not a prison cell."

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[Tudo]

Great! Go Canada!

[mr.brunch]

Nice one Canada ++

[Tudo]

Canadian marijuana companies are smiling after last night's election stunner
Of all the industries across Canada, none could possibly be happier with Monday’s surprising election result than the medical marijuana sector, Peter Koven of Canada's Financial Post reports.

Justin Trudeau — who won in a landslide — has a plan to legalize marijuana promises to bring massive opportunity to an industry that only came into existence last year.
Marijuana equities moved higher on Tuesday as investors absorbed the news.
Shares of Canopy Growth Corp. (formerly Tweed Marijuana) climbed 2.75% while Aphria Inc.’s shares climbed 5% as of 1:20 ET.
The federal government birthed the marijuana sector in April 2014, when it introduced rules that required medical pot patients to buy their product from licensed producers.
That created a market frenzy as dozens of companies popped up out of nowhere to get into the sector. Those firms are slowly being whittled down to a much smaller group of capable long-term producers.
But while the medical marijuana patient list is growing, it is still below 30,000 people across the country.
That is a tiny number, and it limits the amount of money these companies can possibly make. As of now, none of the major producers are cash flow positive.
Legalization, if it indeed happens, will transform the business because the potential customer base is enormous.
Assuming Canada follows the path of U.S. states like Colorado and Oregon that have legalized, pot will become huge business literally overnight.
But that will also bring big challenges to the marijuana producers. Higher production could drive prices down, which would force plenty of companies out of business if they cannot establish enough scale to drive down their costs. Consolidation, which is already happening, will likely become a must.
The regulatory environment under legalization is completely uncertain. And a legalized marijuana industry could also draw interest from the global tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. If they bring their scale and know-how to pot, it may become impossible for the small Canadian firms to hold their ground.
NOW WATCH: Here's why marijuana gives you the munchies

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/canadi...173040362.html

[Skip]

Congrats Canada!

Canada is now on the RIGHT track for legalization.

The world can now see that ANY politician backing Cannabis Legalization is more likely to win.

Just as any legalization ballot measure is likely to win.

This is what the PEOPLE want, what the PEOPLE demand!

Politicians: oppose cannabis and soon you'll be having to find a new career!

Do NOT FEAR cannabis, as it is medicine and healthier than alcohol or tobacco recreationally.

So politicians, what are you waiting for?

Good riddance to Harper...May the Tories in the UK be the next ones to get kicked out.

[bombadil.360]

so they voted out an idiot, but voted in the son of an ex prime minister...

ok...

[MrBelvedere]

Congrats Canada, especially to all the people who worked hard to make this happen, and especially to all the voters who actually showed up on election day!

Hope you will keep leading the way on a national level, increase job growth, and most importantly on setting up a system that allows individuals the freedom to grow on their home or property.

Please don't stop fighting now! This is just the beginning of the next phase, where all the details will be ironed out and if you don't participate and care about the cause.... somebody else with overly restrictive ideas may get their way. So participate and don't quit till things are as good as can be!

Learn from the lessons of the past and make sure they are not repeated.

This news has given a big shot in the arm to all of us who struggle daily to make a change in other countries.

Thank You CA!

[kakaman]

This is not going to happen. if Clinton or a republican wins the American election Canada will have a choice. You either give up legal marijuana or you can't have the keystone pipe line. The Canadian government will choose the pipeline and marijuana will remain illegal in Canada. Come on did anyone really think nation wide legalization would be this easy with pharma companies bribing politicians, not even close!

[armedoldhippy]

if the US shuts down any chance of Keystone happening, Canada will just pump their oil to British Columbia & sell it to China. studies on a port have already been done. the US will have no say in this matter, i don't believe...oil is oil, someone will buy it. legalization is too popular in Canada for the people to let the govt shaft them just to make the US happy. JMHO

[rangergord]

Originally Posted by kakaman

This is not going to happen. if Clinton or a republican wins the American election Canada will have a choice. You either give up legal marijuana or you can't have the keystone pipe line. The Canadian government will choose the pipeline and marijuana will remain illegal in Canada. Come on did anyone really think nation wide legalization would be this easy with pharma companies bribing politicians, not even close!

Complete Nonsense ! These issues are not related and the pipeline will be decided on the basis of economics and global warming dogma.