When Justin Trudeau was still on the campaign trail in 2015, part of his platform was a promise that his government would get to work “right away” on cannabis legalization and regulation. On October 17, that promise becomes a reality and aside from lending credibility to Trudeau’s word, it’s bound to change the entire world’s stage when it comes to cannabis.
Already geared up to be a burgeoning industry, the adult use sector is a giant win for Trudeau and the Liberal government — one that Trudeau says will keep pot out of the hands of children, keep profits out of the hands of criminals and offer a safer, social and recreational activity for all Canadian adults.
Some international mega-brands are coming out smelling like rosy terpenes as well. An early investor and thus one of the conglomerate pioneers into the fields of green, Constellation Brands — purveyors of Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, wines and spirits — has invested over $4 billion in the Canadian cannabis company, Canopy Growth. And Coca-Cola is close on its heels, looking to launch CBD beverages off their mighty platform.
Already established industries that may have become sort of stale or simply steady as she goes now have the opportunity to add to their winning game. Packaging facilities, label makers, herbal remedy companies, coffee brewers and more all have the chance to expand their wares into the cannabis sector for a good measure of market share.
Speaking of the market, the Canadian economy is bound to be another prize winning entity, with billions in projected sales making it rain tax dollars. A bolstered economy means that the people come out ahead as well, with new jobs to be had, new products to try and without the fear of incarceration for simply ingesting a non-toxic, happy little plant (or big plant, depending on the grow).
Let’s face it though, lawyers are going to be the big winners for the first few years at least. As the laws of the land vary from province to province and territory to territory in Canada, there are bound to be questions that can only be answered in court or that some disgruntled non-imbibers insist go to court. As Canada learns the new lay of the land, lawyers will be in high demand.
The biggest winners, though, are, again, the people. Not only because they can now smoke pot wherever cigarettes/vaping is allowed, but because by setting this example, this stage for the largest yet social theatre on cannabis legalization, the world opens up to more possibility and more all important research can be conducted, from how the plant affects ailments to its true risks and benefits factors.
