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Well, we did it! Canada has a new leader—and what a leader! Since electing Justin Trudeau as our Prime Minister, the sense of excitement in this province has been palpable.

Prime minister-designate Trudeau appears enthusiastic about his new role as well. He began his first full day in office by pulling Canadian forces out of the U.S.-led military efforts against ISIS in Iraq and Syria and recommitting them to peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. He has also announced his intentions to allow 25,000 Syrian refugees into our country, to launch a national inquiry into the missing and murdered indigenous women, and to amend the Conservative’s controversial anti-terrorism bill.

But perhaps one of the most hotly anticipated changes under Trudeau’s new leadership has to do with something else—marijuana.

The legalization and regulation of marijuana was a key platform issue for the Liberal party throughout their campaign. From the very beginning, Trudeau was very clear about his intentions to legalize marijuana, saying that he would begin the process “right away” if elected to office. He contends that the legalization of the drug will keep it away from minors, while also keeping money away from gangsters.

After Trudeau’s election, anticipation for imminent legalization ran high. Medical marijuana stocks surged, while marijuana users celebrated what they perceived to be a victory.

It seems that Canadians will soon have access to legal pot and now we must ask ourselves: what will legalization really look like?

Our new Liberal government will have a bevy of options at its disposal as it works toward decriminalization. Will the prime minister repeal the laws altogether or will he write new laws in their place? Will he simply decriminalize the possession of cannabis, or will he go further and allow for the personal cultivation of the plant itself? Will there be restrictions or conditions to the lawful possession of the substance? These are all questions that will (hopefully) soon be answered.

Moreover, if marijuana becomes legal, chances are high that it will also become a lucrative commodity—raising even more questions about how it will be lawfully integrated into Canadian society. The methods by which the drug will be cultivated, regulated, and dispensed will surely require a great deal of consideration and planning.

In the past, the prime minister has attempted to tackle some of these questions himself. For example, Trudeau has indicated that he would like to see restrictions on how marijuana is sold to the public. He has expressed a concern about the practical implications of selling the drug at corner stores, alongside tobacco cigarettes, as he believes that this may make it more accessible to young people. Trudeau has been clear that he does not consider this method of dispensing to be a viable option.

But, ultimately, these details may not be up to him. After all, the decriminalization of marijuana will require a great deal of involvement from provincial governments and is unlikely to be left to the sole discretion of the feds.

Federalism in this country allows provinces to exercise control over regional issues that most directly and uniquely affect them; things like healthcare, roadways, education, and alcohol and tobacco sales. In many circumstances, these issues will overlap between provincial and federal governments, causing concerns to become intertwined and sometimes difficult to distinguish.

But if alcohol and tobacco sales fall squarely within provincial control, there seems to be no question that marijuana will as well. Moreover, recent cases from the Supreme Court of Canada seem to support an expansion version of provincial powers. We should therefore expect the nitty-gritty details of marijuana legalization to be hashed out by our provincial decision-makers and not our prime minister.

While Christy Clark may not agree, having recently characterized this issue as one that is solely federal in nature, she may soon need to turn her mind to how our province will best manage and respond to this issue.

So while many questions remain, the pressing question right now is—how soon? The prime minister hasn’t set a firm time line for when he expects full legalization to occur, but has confirmed that it is in the works. Newly elected MP Bill Blair recently reaffirmed his party's promise as well, giving the impression that the process is set to begin sooner, rather than later.

I expect that we will begin to get some answers before the close of the year; hopefully Christy Clark can get on board by then.