Canada's new governing party promises to legalize, regulate marijuana sales

Trevor Hughes | USA TODAY

DENVER — Canada's leap to the left in Monday's elections could have the country singing a new anthem: "Oh, Cannabis."

The United States' largest trade partner overwhelmingly selected Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party to run Canada, a sweeping change that may lead to full marijuana legalization for our northern neighbor, which already allows medical pot use.

Trudeau promised that under his leadership Canada would create a system to tax, regulate and sell marijuana, along with stiff penalties for anyone giving pot to children or caught driving while stoned. The Liberal Party's cannabis legalization statement echoes the language used by many U.S. legalization advocates.

"Canada’s current system of marijuana prohibition does not work. It does not prevent young people from using marijuana and too many Canadians end up with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug," the party's position statement says. "To ensure that we keep marijuana out of the hands of children, and the profits out of the hands of criminals, we will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana."

U.S.-based cannabis activists hailed Trudeau's election as a milestone, suggesting that a day may soon come when cross-border trade talks include not just the Keystone XL pipeline, maple syrup or prescription drugs, but also legal weed. Border states Alaska and Washington have already legalized recreational marijuana use, as have Colorado, Oregon and the District of Columbia.

"It’s no longer a pipe dream to imagine a day when consumers and growers in Washington state and British Columbia, for example, could be ordering each other’s wares on the Internet for cross-border shipment," said Tom Angell, chairman of the pro-legalization Marijuana Majority.

Trudeau earlier this month said he'd begin work to legalize marijuana in Canada "right away" if elected, but declined to specify a timeline for implementation. His campaign told CBC News that it was looking to Colorado as a potential model.

Colorado permits residents to buy and possess up to an ounce of marijuana at a time, and taxes each sale. Last month the state collected nearly $12 million in marijuana taxes, with the money used to fund school construction and anti-abuse campaigns.

In 2003 and 2004, Canada's Liberal Party offered a proposal to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, but the plan died and a Conservative government took power in 2006. At the time, U.S. officials invoked the specter of prolonged border crossings if Canada changed its laws to permit broader marijuana use.

Since 2001, Canada has permitted medical marijuana use, as do 23 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Canada's potential move toward recreational legalization could add to a growing international discussion about drug possession and penalties, which has become a major cause for billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, who on Monday renewed his push for the United Nations to back decriminalization of drug use.

"Together with countless other tireless advocates, I’ve for years argued that we should treat drug use as a health issue, not as a crime," Branson wrote on his blog, responding to a draft U.N. proposal. "While the vast majority of recreational drug users never experience any problems, people who struggle with drug addiction deserve access to treatment, not a prison cell."