The dream of legally lighting up on Canada Day 2018 is going up in smoke as PM Justin Trudeau said cannabis won’t be legalized July 1st, although Trudeau did say it will still happen “next summer”.

Trudeau’s refusal to specify a date is most likely a move to buy the Liberals more time, but we also shouldn’t forget that it was only a month ago when Health Canada said, “as previously indicated, the government of Canada intends to bring the proposed Cannabis Act into force no later than July 2018”, so that at least cuts down Trudeau’s wiggle room to July 31- that is, if they stick to the plan.

Why now?

This means criminalization will continue for longer than we were led to believe, and there is already much speculation as to why- maybe they don’t want Canada Day turning into the next 420, maybe they’re waiting until the next election is around the corner, or maybe the Prohibitionists want one last hurrah?

In the TVA interview, Trudeau even went as far as saying, “The date will not be July 1, I can assure you of that. I don’t know where that date came from.”

But that may leave you with a few questions of your own- like if the plan was never to legalize by July 1st, why didn’t Trudeau correct anybody until now?

Part of Trudeau’s plan?

Does anyone else find it interesting that Trudeau let this slip during an interview in Montreal?

Perhaps it was a strategic move for a more receptive crowd since Quebec is proving to be very cannabis unfriendly. The province is implementing strict cannabis laws that includes a ban on home cultivation, and Quebec is one of the provinces that asked the feds to delay legalization. Trudeau is giving the Québécois what they want.

Also, the interview being en francais limits the audience who could understand Trudeau as he originally said it. English-speakers, who are the majority in Canada by almost 3 to 1, were deprived of that juicy soundbite during their evening news.

Sources

Globe and Mail: Quebec unveils zero-tolerance marijuana plan: No home-grown cannabis allowed.

Huffington Post: Trudeau rules out Canada Day for marijuana legalization.

TVA: Trudeau sème la confusion sur le pot.