For the last several months, people have been in a frenzy over the impending legalization of cannabis in Canada.
Individuals awarded licenses in Saskatchewan have been rushing to set up shop in preparation for Wednesday.
But, not everyone has been thrilled with the way the Trudeau government has handled the whole thing.
Jodie Emery, wife of the self-proclaimed “Prince of pot”, has been a legalization advocate for 15 years.
She said this week, the new law continues to criminalize the people using marijuana and the plant itself. At the same time, she added law enforcement budgets across the country are increasing.
She said none of her long-fought-for objectives are being met.
“What we’re seeing is (the) legalization of government sold pot and the decriminalization of possession of 30 grams of government sold pot,” Emery said.
Emery said all other cannabis, products and businesses remain illegal and can carry stiff punishments for violations. In some cases, that could be 14 years in jail.
While Emery admits cannabis and alcohol are both considered to be recreational drugs, she doesn’t believe the two should be treated the same.
“Alcohol actually costs a lot of money and a lot of harm to health where cannabis is the opposite and when people have access to cannabis they use less alcohol as well as opioids,” Emery added.
A determined yet frustrated Emery said contrary to what she initially believed when the Liberal government first announced it would legalize marijuana, she concluded her work is far from over.
She said her 15 years of activism apparently won’t end. She plans to help launch Fair Cannabis Canada to continue to fight for marijuana freedom.
“Across the board from dispensaries to edibles to medicine to taxes to law enforcement, advertising, we’ve got a lot of issues of unfairness that need to be addressed.
The “Mighty Croz” might envy Canadians
A self-proclaimed connoisseur of cannabis for nearly half a century and well known by many for his musical talents with Crosby, Stills and Nash, David Crosby said he’s not surprised Canada has become just the second country in the world to fully legalize cannabis.
“I’m standing on the sidelines going, ‘God, what a bunch of smart people the Canadians are.'”
In preparation for the day Crosby said he believes the momentum will swing south, he’s in line to launch his own brand of weed.
“I think it will be legal everywhere. Here’s the reason, the numbers are already in from Oregon and from Colorado, uh, it’s a win.”
Cannabis is already legal in nine American states.