Recreational pot is now legal in Canada

As of midnight Wednesday, it is legal to possess and use recreational marijuana in Canada.

Provinces and territories will set the parameters of where pot can be purchased and consumed in their boundaries, and the government has sent out mailers to households across Canada notifying them of the new cannabis laws. While adults will be able to purchase dried weed and cannabis oil from licensed producers and retailers, it will be illegal to possess more than 30 grams in public, grow more than four plants in a household, and buy from an unlicensed dealer.

The first legal purchase was made in St. John's, Newfoundland, and while the nationwide market is open, it's not going to be easy to buy in some places; in Ontario, for example, retail stores won't open until the spring, BBC News reports, although residents can order online. In British Columbia, there will just be one legal store open on Wednesday. Edibles will be available for purchase within the next year.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Marijuana possession became a crime in Canada in 1923, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has argued that laws criminalizing marijuana haven't done anything to curb use. Marijuana has been legal for medical use in the country since 2001. With this new law, Canada becomes the second country after Uruguay to make it legal to possess and use recreational marijuana. The government predicts it will earn $400 million in tax revenues from the sale of marijuana every year.