A number of marijuana supporters turned out to London's Victoria Park for 4/20, April 20, 2016. (Photo by Kirk Dickinson)A number of marijuana supporters turned out to London's Victoria Park for 4/20, April 20, 2016. (Photo by Kirk Dickinson)
London

Legal Pot Coming Next Year?

It's looking more and more like Canadians will be allowed to smoke marijuana legally by Canada Day of next year.

The Globe and Mail and the CBC report the Trudeau government is rushing to have a pot legalization bill ready for Parliament by April 20.

The government is hoping to make marijuana legal by July 1, 2018, according to the reports. The Liberals had promised last April that they would have legislation ready by this spring.

According to the Globe, a senior official in the government says there are still some things to iron out, such as the amount of pot a person would be allowed to possess, whether they could grow their own, and the best way for police to nab pot-impaired drivers. The time frame for legalization will also depend on how ready the provinces are for handling the distribution and retail aspects of legal pot. The CBC report says people who want to grow their own marijuana will be limited to four plants

While marijuana users and civil libertarians have long advocated for the legalization of pot, concerns have been raised by some police and health officials.

The government was warned last year that a reported spike in drug-impaired driving in Washington and Colorado after those states legalized marijuana could be seen here.

Read More Local Stories