wow such emotion and bias - maybe you should make a movie and call it canadian reefer madness - but don't miss the main point - it's all about pacifying the nation

Thanks for a generally thoughtful and thorough piece on this topic. But Canada isn't the first "gigantic social experiment" in marijuana prohibition. That began in 1930's US and was totally uncontrolled and totally without any factual basis.

I wonder if there will be an increase in "late night" drive through fast food sales? LOL

The author of this article never heard of the Netherlands? (just to name one)
Canada and Uruguay are just followers in this "social experiment" of legalizing marijuana.

We can be sure there will be major efforts to undermine this experiment by those profiting from the 3rd largest industry on the planet; illicit drugs. Despite all the arguments supporting it drug prohibition was never about solving the problems drugs can cause in society. If it were it's been doing a remarkably rubbish job of it. More and worse drugs and absolutely no reduction of access, you can get whatever you want wherever you want. No, it was about making a whole lot of money for the very few, the wealthy and influential. Good luck Canada but you're in for some serious grief from these mercenary bastards.

Good luck to all the families about to be ripped apart by the permanent schizophrenia this drug causes in many people - at least now you can sue the state for compensation.

I have noticed that everyone is talking about it, and people who would never mention it before are admitting to use. That may turn up on polls as an increased number of users, whereas it is an increased number of ADMITTED users. One advantage is, finally proper studies of cannabis can proceed.

Canadians will find out the same things as here in California: Few people want to get high every day. It's cheaper to grow your own. When you grow your own, share it. Oh, and find out how to clone your plants. It's fairly easy.
Otherwise, very little will change.

As a retired London (UK) police officer, I welcome Canada's move. Time will tell whether the pros of legalization outweigh the cons from a broad (Canadian) societal perspective.
One issue not mentioned in this otherwise interesting article is the effect on police/community relations especially in areas where a large section of young adults and juveniles regularly use cannabis generally, if not culturally.
Removing the legal justification for stop and search amongst this section of the general public may have a positive knock-on effect on police and community relations as well as remove one of the prime reasons young people end up with an actively anti-police attitude if not forming the start of a slippery slope into criminal life.
Certainly from my experience in London between 1986 and 2016, stop and search figures were actively sought by 'management' and cannabis legislation was a very easy way to hit targets. I don't deny the effectiveness of using cannabis legislation as a tool in broad-spectrum crime-fighting - especially knife-crime which has become such a problem in London in recent years - but at what wider cost?
On a more personal note, I have to admit to resenting having my nostrils assailed by the acrid stench of burning cannabis when in public. Unfortunately, I can't see a very easy way of avoiding this issue if it were legal to smoke in public... Is there any limitation on where one can smoke cannabis in the Canadian legislation? A ban on public smoking would certainly be relatively easy to police as well as dealing with the issue of users inadvertently encouraging others to take it up.

If there is one rule about drugs (medical or recreational) that is universal - For every drug with an upside there is always a downside.
Should a drug be taken (or be legal) then its benefits have to outweigh the downsides. From that its hard to argue for the reactional usage of cannabis. However we allow alcohol, butt look at the problems it causes, a reason why its banned in Islamic countries - Remembering religious beliefs are often a reflection of best practice at a particular time for a society.
The contra argument is of course look at prohibition in the USA when alcohol was illegal - crime flourished.
So good luck to the Canadians guess you are going to find out what its like to lab mice!