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MONTREAL – Canada became Wednesday the first major global economy to legalize recreational marijuana use, starting a national experiment that will change the social, cultural and economic fabric of the country and present the nation with its greatest policy challenge. public for decades.
Newfoundlanders were the first Canadians to be able to smoke pot legally when retailers opened their doors in the easternmost province at midnight.
In the rest of the country, government-run stores were preparing to greet consumers, who could choose from pre-rolled joints, fresh or dried marijuana flowers, and cannabis oil – all licensed by the government. new federal law.
And Montreal pans from Winnipeg to Calgary prepared their bongs for the "End of Prohibition" parties.
The government is expected to announce Wednesday that it will be easier for Canadians convicted of possession of small amounts of marijuana to obtain a pardon, said a government official familiar with the plan, who confirmed it but has not been allowed to speak about it publicly. .
"The fact that we are moving away from the prohibition model is a victory for human rights and social justice, economic gain for the Canadian economy and a sign of social progress," he said. Adam Greenblatt, a director of Canopy Growth, a producer valued at more than $ 10 billion.
Others were more cautious.
"The legalization of cannabis is the biggest public policy change that has occurred in this country in the last five decades," he said. Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety of British Columbia.
"It's an octopus with many tentacles," he added, "and there are many unknowns, and I do not think that when the federal government decided to legalize marijuana, it thought about all the implications."
He asked the government to promise to change the law if it resulted in increased marijuana use.
But the so-called "environmental rush" has already begun, as licensed cannabis producers have been hurrying for months into what is expected to be a $ 5 billion industry ($ 6.5 billion). Canadian dollars) by 2020, supported by the expected arrival of thousands of tourists from across the border in the United States.
When Justin Trudeau ran for the post of prime minister three years ago, the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes was one of his campaign promises. Canadians widely support the legalization of cannabis, a reflection of a progressive, liberal-minded country, where the use of this previously illegal drug was commonplace.
Canada is only the second country in the world, after Uruguay, to legalize it.
According to Statistics Canada, 4.9 million Canadians used cannabis last year and consumed more than 20 grams of marijuana per person, for a total of $ 5.6 billion.
"Cannabis is not a benign substance," he said. "There is a clear risk of addiction and it can lead to significant mental health problems if it is used by the wrong kind of people."
He added: "It has taken decades for the public to understand the risks associated with smoking and the legalization of cannabis has only happened in recent years."
The federal government has left the country's 13 provinces and territories to enforce the new legislation and set their own rules, creating a mosaic of regulations. Among the many outstanding issues is how the police will test the most likely drivers and employers who treat employees who smoke before going to work.
Marijuana for medical purposes has been legal in Canada since 2001 and about 330,000 Canadians, including cancer patients, are registered to receive licensed producers.
Edible cannabis products, such as butter jelly beans, peanut butter and coffee, will no longer be legal for a year.
On Tuesday, in a shopping street east of Montreal, a new government-owned marijuana retailer, with the appearance of a modern pharmacy, was preparing for the crowd. The sterility of the store's design seemed calculated to make the pot glamorous, almost like buying cough syrup.
After being checked by unarmed security officers near the entrance to ensure that they respect the current legal age of cannabis use in Quebec (18 years old) (19 years old) in most other provinces), consumers will be able to scroll through flat screens nearby detailing 180 products, such as Pink Kush. , a dried cannabis flower that costs about $ 95, or $ 122.90 Canadian dollars, for 15 grams.
To keep prices competitive with the black market, one gram of cannabis can be bought at a price as low as $ 4 or $ 5.25 Canadian.
Inside the store, wooden shelves were filled with cannabis products, in boxes and containers, divided into three sections: Indica, Sativa and Hybrid.
Large bold signs explained that Sativa could give the impression of being "high and mentally stimulated," while Indica "could create the impression of a state of relaxation and sleep."
On the opening day, green apron participants will explain various weed flavors – lemon, skunk and diesel – as well as the intensity of THC in each product, causing the psychotropic effects associated with cannabis.
As with cigarettes, cannabis is clearly identified by health warnings: "One in eleven people who use cannabis will become addicted."
The government's reason for legalizing cannabis is to tame an estimated $ 6.2 billion in illegal trade. But from Toronto to Winnipeg to Vancouver, hundreds of sweatshops have indicated that they have no intention of closing their doors and that the black market supply chain remains deeply ingrained.
"Fentanyl kills 11 Canadians a day," he said, citing the powerful synthetic opioid that is a public health scourge in cities like Vancouver. "Marijuana does not do it."
"I do not expect a great repression from the first day," he added.
Among the main concerns of law enforcement and public safety officials, there is the risk that more people drive while they are high.
Under the new law, people who drive are sentenced to a minimum fine of C $ 1,000 and a maximum of five years imprisonment for cases that do not cause injury or death. Agent Palmer pointed out that roadside sobriety tests would remain rigorous and that the number of agents trained in these tests would increase from 13,000 to 20,000 over the next few years.
The country's police forces are divided on the reliability of roadside saliva tests for THC.
Some health officials have warned that legalization could create public health problems if public education about risks does not intensify.
He also warned that the commercialization of cannabis could "trivialize" the risks of consumption and create peer pressure among vulnerable adolescents.
"We do not want young people to feel stigmatized, for example, they do not use cannabis and, as we saw with alcohol, there can be a lot of social pressure "said Mr. Fallu.
"Once the motive for profit becomes the main imperative, "he added," and as big business lobbying takes root, we are concerned that public health and safety will be sacrificed. "
Many of those who had called for the new law anticipated this day as a moment of joy. But in Vancouver, protesters who say the legalization did not go far enough intended to demonstrate Wednesday in Parliament in Victoria and give seals to the black market.
Others were contemplating smoking provocatively in the dozens of illegal marijuana dispensaries in the city.
"People do not want to buy government-approved seals," said Jodie Emery, a leading cannabis activist in Vancouver. "Legalization is little more than the bleaching of cannabis culture."
Follow Dan Bilefsky on Twitter: @DanBilefsky
Ian Austen contributed to Ottawa's reporting.
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