What can Canada learn from U.S., Uruguay about selling marijuana?
From cbc.ca
As the federal Liberals map out their plan for legalizing marijuana, they can look at how — and how successfully — a handful of other jurisdictions have overturned the prohibition of pot.
In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first U.S. states to legalize marijuana. Within two years, each state set up a framework governing how retailers could start selling.
But although the two states have much in common, they have different takes on key questions that Canada will have to consider, like whether residents will be able to grow their own plants as they can in Colorado, or whether laws should put limits on non-residents who buy marijuana here, like in Colorado — or leave the market open as Washington does.
To get a better idea of Canada's options, here's a look at how legalization has happened elsewhere.
Colorado became the first place in North America to sell legalized marijuana in January 2014. The state already had 493 medical marijuana dispensaries by that point, and it gave them first opportunity to sell to the public.
By the end of the year, the competition increased more than fourfold: 833 commercial sellers had sprouted up and 1,416 medical retailers were in the market, according to the state's 2014 Marijuana Enforcement Division annual report.
Residents could also grow their own marijuana, but no more than five plants at a time. Those crops have to be kept in a locked room, according to Colorado state law.
But that didn't keep the fledgling industry from moving plenty of product — with medical firms selling nearly 50,000 kilograms worth of dried flowers in 2014, roughly three times more than recreational sellers, state records show.
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