WATCH: As Canada inches towards legalizing cannabis this October, many Canadians are left wondering if the country will be ready to meet the demand. Ceilidh Millar reports.
With just over a month remaining until the Cannabis Act comes into effect, a new poll suggests only half of Canadians think the country is ready to meet the demand.
One group trying to get ahead of the curve is the Canadian Military.
“The law is changing, so we want to be prepared for it and we want to make sure that our membership is prepared,” said military personnel commander Gen. Chuck Lamarre.
On Friday, the Canadian Forces unveiled their rules on recreational cannabis consumption.
The rules state military members will be allowed to consume and possess marijuana as long as they follow federal and provincial laws.
However, there will be added regulations for when forces members can’t use pot including while on shift or while operating an aircraft or vessel.
New estimates also show that cannabis retailers might not be able to meet the demand for how much marijuana Canadians could consume.
A new study suggests Canadians will consume 926 tonnes of pot – almost a third more than previous numbers estimated by the parliamentary budget office.
In BC, the advocacy group for local governments is asking for the provincial government to give more than 40 per cent of its marijuana tax revenue to local governments when the drug becomes legal.
The Union of BC Municipalities has tabled a resolution asking the provincial government to provide local governments with $50-million of the $125-million it expects to receive in cannabis excise tax revenue over the first two years of legalization.
Representatives from city councils across the province will vote on the special resolution next week during the union’s annual convention.
The federal government says recreational marijuana will officially become legal across the country on Oct. 17.
Ceilidh Millar
