Canada is in a position to be a global leader in setting an international precedent for socially responsible and informed policy for cannabis.
Health claims around CBD grew after the FDA approved a drug containing CBD to treat seizures from two rare forms of epilepsy.
Olena Ruban/Moment via Getty Images
Legalising marijuana in Nigeria should start with what science is required and what scientific capability the country has.
In this November 2019 photo, patrons smoke marijuana at a state-licensed but federally illegal marijuana establishment in Los Angeles.
(AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
U.S. Congress might not pursue full cannabis legalization this year. But it should still provide Americans with some of Canada’s legal clarity.
People gather in Trinity Bellwoods park for a weed bubble blowing event in Toronto on Oct. 17, 2018, the day cannabis became legal in Canada.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
If the goal of cannabis legalization was to protect public health and safety, education and awareness campaigns must normalize safe cannabis use, not stop cannabis consumption.
Young New Zealanders are less likely to use cannabis than their 1990s counterparts. But if New Zealand decides to legalise recreational use, teens will have easier access.
Students rolling a joint in a classroom. Marijuana may not lead them to other drugs, a study suggests.
fotoNino/Shutterstock.com
Parents of teens often worry about marijuana use and whether it might lead to other drugs or behavioral problems. A recent study suggests it doesn’t, but that there are real dangers to be aware of.
Has marijuana legalization reached a tipping point?
AP Photo/David Dermer, File
Two-thirds of all US states now have some kind of legal pot, and support for legalization has never been higher. But ballot initiatives can only take legalization so far, researchers say.
Utah residents show support for a ballot initiative that would legalize medical marijuana in the state.
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
Midterm voters in Utah, Missouri, Michigan and North Dakota will decide whether to join the 31 US states that have some form of legal marijuana. But ballot initiatives can only take pot so far.
Rastafarians celebrate after the South African Constitutional Court ruled that the personal use of marijuana is now legal.
EFE-EPA/Kim Ludbrook
The legalisation of the private use of cannabis in South Africa is a victory for human rights. But, much more work needs to be done to make it practical.
A man celebrates the landmark marijuana ruling.
KIM LUDBROOK/EPA
The Constitutional Court judgment is to be applauded for doing away with the assumption that marijuana use by adults in private is always wrong.
The Second Cup Ltd. says it is actively reviewing locations in Ontario for potential conversion to cannabis stores in light of a decision by the new provincial government to allow private retailers to sell the drug.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Ontario must quickly create rules for cannabis stores. How the Ford government decides to regulate retailers will have a major impact on how many retailers will get into the business.
Will U.S. border officials have problems with Canadians who purchase weed online when they try to enter the country?
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Blinch
As Canada moves to legalize marijuana and online sales become commonplace, privacy concerns can’t be an afterthought; they must be built into the system from the outset. That’s not happening.
Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s finance minister, and Attorney General Caroline Mulroney talk to the media after announcing Ontario’s cannabis retail model on Aug. 13.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
Ontario’s change to private sector cannabis stores will give consumers more convenience. That will mean stronger competition against the black market, but potentially higher consumption too.
A parade of bar men protest Prohibition along Yonge Street in Toronto in 1916.
Library and Archives Canada
History has shown that prohibiting popular intoxicants spurs illegal and sometimes excessive use. Ontario municipalities taking up Doug Ford’s offer to ban local retail weed sales should take note.
Kids teething? Back in 1885, Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup, containing morphine, was close at hand and earned the nickname the “baby killer.” Concerns about the dangers of readily available medications played a big role in how Canada’s drug laws evolved.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine
Canadian drug policy began to take shape well before anti-immigration attacks on Chinese establishments in 1908. Drugs like opium and coke were causing grave public health concerns.
Galen J. Roush Professor of Law; Director, Spangenberg Center for Law, Technology & the Arts and the FUSION Certificate Program in Design, Innovation & IP Management, Case Western Reserve University