Trudeau unveils bill legalizing recreational marijuana in Canada

OTTAWA, Ontario — Fulfilling a campaign pledge, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced legislation on Thursday to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Canada.

Many nations have either decriminalized marijuana, allowed it to be prescribed medically or effectively stopped enforcing laws against it. But when Trudeau’s bill passes as expected, Canada will become only the second nation, after Uruguay, to completely legalize marijuana as a consumer product.

The government’s plan has been broadly shaped by a panel of experts, but many issues still need to be worked out before legal sales can begin.

Each of Canada’s provinces will need to decide exactly how the drug will be distributed and sold within its boundaries. The government will have to develop the marijuana equivalents of breathalyzers and a blood alcohol standard, so that drivers can be checked for impairment at the roadside and workers can be tested for safety on the job. Diplomats will have to address conflicts with international drug treaties. And many in the medical community are concerned about the long-term health effects of increased use of marijuana by Canadians under the age of 25.

Though eight U.S. states have legalized marijuana to various extents, the drug remains illegal under federal law. Trudeau’s move eliminates any such ambiguity in Canada. It follows a court-mandated legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, which was introduced with tight controls in 1999 and later broadened by further court orders.

The new legislation stops far short of creating an open market. The law will require purchasers to be at least 18 years old — though provinces can set a higher minimum — and it will limit the amount they can carry at any one time to 30 grams, about an ounce.

Households will be allowed to grow up to four marijuana plants. But the legislation seems built on the assumption that most users will be supplied by commercial growers, who will be licensed and closely supervised by the federal government.

Each province will decide where and how marijuana may be sold, and will set prices.

Gilbert Brulotte, former chairman of the Canadian Construction Association, said the law may lead to increased accident rates on job sites.

“We are not against legalization, we’re just interested in making sure that thresholds and proper technologies are in place,” Brulotte said, adding that the industry also wanted the right to perform random drug tests in the workplace.

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