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Canada is now the largest country with a legal national marijuana market as sales began early Wednesday in Newfoundland.
And there was other good news for pot lovers: a few hours before opening a handful of outlets in the easternmost province of the country, a Federal official told the Associated Press that Canada would forgive anyone who has been convicted for possession of 30 grams of legal threshold.
An official announcement was scheduled for later Wednesday. The official, who was not allowed to speak in public before the announcement, said those who want to take advantage of the pardon will have to apply.
Canada has been using marijuana for legal purposes since 2001, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has been working to expand it to include recreational marijuana for the past two years. The goal is to better reflect the company's changing opinion on marijuana and to integrate black market operators into a regulated system.
Uruguay was the first country to legalize marijuana.
Tom Clarke, an illegal pot seller for three decades, was one of the first to sell legally in Canada when his store opened at midnight local time in Portugal Cove, Newfoundland. He made his first sale to his father and a queue of about 50 to 100 people was waiting in front of his shop.
"It's great, I've been waiting all my life for that, I've served my father," Clarke said. "I'm so happy to live in Canada now rather than go south of the border."
Clarke, whose middle name is Herb, has been called THC for years by her friends. His father, Don, is delighted to be among the first clients of Legal Pot.
"It's been a long time since we've been talking about this for just 50 years – better late than never," he said.
The Clarke store is one of 111 legal pot dealers that are expected to open 37 million people in the country on Wednesday, and many more to come, according to an Associated Press poll in the provinces.
Canadians can also order marijuana products on provincially managed websites or private retailers and have them delivered to their homes by mail.
Alberta and Quebec have set the minimum age of purchase at 18, while others have set 19.
No stores will open in Ontario, including Toronto. The most populous province is working on its regulations and does not plan stores until next spring.
Ryan Bose, 48, a Lyft pilot in Toronto, said it was almost time.
"The alcohol took my grandfather and his youngest son, and weed never took anyone," he said.
A patchwork of regulations has spread across Canada, with each province adopting its own approach within the framework defined by the federal government. Some operate government-run stores, others allow private retailers, others both.
Canada's national approach has allowed for unhindered banking transactions, cross-province shipments of cannabis, and billions of dollars in investment – a stark contrast to the national prohibition in the United States.
Nine US states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana and more than 30 have approved marijuana for medical purposes. California, the largest legal market in the United States, became at the beginning of this month the first state with a law requiring the cancellation of criminal convictions for marijuana-related offenses that are no longer illegal.
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon said that it was time for the US government to follow Canada's example.
"Now that our northern neighbor is opening up its legal marijuana market, the longer we delay, the more we lose potentially important economic opportunities for Oregon and other states of the country," he said in a statement. a statement.
US Customs and Border Protection invited Canadian media to a teleconference on Tuesday to reiterate that marijuana remains illegal under US federal law and that those caught at the border with marijuana are punishable by law. arrest and prosecution.
As Canada welcomes legalization, supply shortages may develop, as was the case in some US states when legalization arrived.
Trevor Fencott, chief executive of Fire and Flower, said his company has 15 stores in Alberta with enough staff to sell marijuana, but the province has only provided enough products to open three on Wednesday.
"We are aware of some of the growth issues related to creating a full-cloth industry in 24 months," Fencott said.
Brenda Tobin and her son Trevor plan to open their kettle shop in Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador at 4:20 pm Wednesday – 420 is the slang of cannabis use. Tobin, a longtime owner of a convenience store, announced that he would cut a ribbon and a cake.
"We are simply ecstatic," she said.
She does not expect to earn much money with the pot itself, noting the 8 percent cap set by Newfoundland on pot pot profits. She hopes to make money with pipes, bongs and marijuana accessories.
"There is no money in the product itself," she said. "You have to sell $ 250,000 worth of products to earn $ 20,000 – it does not even pay anyone's salary."
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Gene Johnson brought back from Seattle. Johnson is a member of the AP Marijuana Beat Team. Follow him on https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle. Find full coverage of marijuana AP at http://apnews.com/tag/LegalMarijuana
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