First news on the legalization of cannabis in Canada

The report on the future legalizing cannabis in Canada will be made public on December 21. But some details have already been leaked. Here's a rundown of this CannaLeaks.

Canada’s primary goal is to crack down on the black market for cannabis, which is currently worth 7 billion dollars a year. All of the recommendations in the upcoming report are based on this premise.

Canadian provinces should set the legal age for cannabis use at 18 in six provinces, at 19 in British Columbia, Labrador, New Brunswick, and three territories, which would prevent many young people from turning to the black market. The Canadian Medical Association, for its part, had recommended an age of 21, with limits on the quantity and potency of cannabis.

To tackle the black market head-on, the report is expected to recommend prices lower than street prices, which currently range from 8 to 10$ per gram. This would reduce tax revenue but would be justified by the principle of ensuring safe and controlled access to a legal supply.

To ensure that consumers receive a product approved by Health Canada, the report would recommend maintaining the current mail-order distribution system, which, among other things, allows the product to be tracked from seed to consumer. Provinces will, of course, be able to enact their own laws in addition to this system, and Ontario is reportedly already considering selling cannabis in its 600 liquor stores. Existing dispensaries, such as those in British Columbia, should be able to continue selling cannabis, but they will be required to source their products from licensed producers.

The new law is expected in April 2017, which would leave the various provinces little time to set up their distribution systems. Some rumors suggest that the first legal sales could begin in January 2018.

On the production side, the 36 current producers would retain their licenses, but new producers will be able to apply for production permits. Current producers have pushed to allow the branding and marketing of their products, arguing that strong brands are important in a new market.

Stay tuned for the full report in two weeks!