Task force releases report on Canada rec marijuana legalization

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Canada should permit adults as young as 18 to buy recreational marijuana through a variety of retail channels, according to a government-commissioned report that contains dozens of recommendations for how the country should proceed with the legalization of adult-use cannabis.

The report, from the country’s Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation, was released to the public Tuesday. It recommends a “diversity of producers,” including smaller operators, and that consumers be allowed to purchase rec marijuana through storefronts and by mail order, Bloomberg reported.

The task force also proposes that provinces and municipalities should determine how retailers can sell marijuana. The federal government should regulate production, according to the panel, while the provinces would oversee distribution and retail sales.

The report contains more than 80 recommendations. It comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the country would legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis, with legislation slated for next spring. His government can accept or reject the report’s recommendations when drafting the legislation, the Globe and Mail reported.

Tuesday’s report also suggests that recreational marijuana production should mirror the system in place for medical marijuana, which is regulated by Health Canada.

According to Bloomberg, the report also recommends that:

  • Marijuana and alcohol not be sold together.
  • A direct-mail delivery system be established.
  • The government curb marijuana marketing and establish potency levels.
  • People be allowed to cultivate up to four MJ plants at home.

Canada’s legalized rec marijuana market could have up to 3.8 million legal consumers and sales of 6 billion Canadian dollars ($4.5 billion) by 2021.