Canadians will be free to smoke and grow their own cannabis from next July under new laws which legalize the possession of marijuana for personal consumption, according to reports from Canadian national broadcaster CBC News.
The new freedoms, which were presented to the Liberal government over the weekend by MP Bill Blair, will be announced during the week of April 10 before being written into law in time for Canada Day on July 1, 2018, according to reports from Canadian national broadcaster CBC News.
Under the new law, the Federal government in Ottawa will set a minimum purchasing age of 18 and will be in charge of licensing producers, however, provincial government will have the authority to manage distribution and pricing. It will also be entitled to raise the minimum purchase age. Canadians will also be free to grow up to four marijuana plants per household.
The announcement follows a cross-country tour conducted by Blair, a former Toronto police chief, and Attorney General of Canada Jody Wilson-Raybould last month to secure support.
Marijuana legalization was seen as one of the more controversial campaign pledges of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau but also one which garnered appeal among youth voters in the 2015 election. Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated his intentions a few weeks ago in Halifax, Canada, when he said that new legislation would be introduced before the summer.
CNBC has contacted the Canadian government for comment on the report.
To read the CBC News article in full, click here.