As the Canadian federal government continues to prepare for the upcoming legalization of recreational cannabis, there have been roadblocks to overcome before legalization. As a result, the sale of non-medicinal cannabis may be delayed from July 1st to early August.
This resulted because the Senate has pushed back their final vote on the cannabis legalization bill, Bill C-45, to June 7th. Once the bill is passed on June 7th cannabis will be declared legal, however Canadians can’t purchase any until the provinces and territories have legal cannabis available for sale. This will take each province and territory anytime between 8 to 12 weeks from the date of legalization to prepare legal retailers. Moreover, legal cannabis will be available for sale nationwide on the same day, meaning that if a province or territory requires more time to prepare for sale, all the other provinces and territories must wait.
As a result, an early August date for sale of cannabis is a best-case scenario. There is a possibility that between now and June 7, the Senate may choose to amend the bill, and this would cause in a further delay in obtaining legal cannabis for recreational use.
Moreover, if all things go well and the Senate passes the bill by June 7, cannabis will be “legal”. So, while cannabis will be legal by Canada Day, Canadians still could not buy any legally.
Information about the ongoing status of Bill C-45, as well as the latest updates are posted in the Parliament of Canada website here.
For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Focal Point Research Inc. We are leading Canadian regulatory and Health Canada consultants for Natural Health Products, OTC Drugs, Cosmetics, and other personal care products.
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