Canada prepares for the legalization of marijuana after midnight
As of midnight today, Canada will become the first industrialized country and the second in the world, after Uruguay, to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, which will be marketed with an average price of 7.7 US dollars per gram.
Dozens of stores across the country, regulated by the Canadian health authorities, will begin to legally sell marijuana to those over 18 or 19 years of age, depending on the province.
In some regions it is feared that the initial demand may be higher than the supply even though the companies that have been licensed by the Canadian government to produce cannabis have been working at forced marches in recent weeks to produce the maximum possible amount of marijuana.
The Government has suggested a sale price of about 10 Canadian dollars (US $ 7.7) per gram of marijuana so that the cost of legal cannabis is competitive with that of the black market.
This price includes two taxes: one of 1 Canadian dollar per gram or 10% of the final sale price, depending on which is the highest; and the provincial sales tax for any product that varies between 13 and 15%.
But the price of cannabis will vary over time, depending on the cost of marijuana on the black market.
The Canadian authorities foresee that, although the final price of one gram of marijuana will be almost 25% higher than that of the black market, Canadians will prefer to acquire cannabis in official stores because it offers guarantees such as the level of THC, the psychoactive component of the drug.
A survey released today indicates that four out of 10 Canadians believe that the price will determine whether they buy marijuana through legal channels or on the black market.
The survey, conducted by the company Ipsos, indicates that the ideal price for marijuana buyers in the province of Ontario, the largest in the country, is between 10 and 14 Canadian dollars per gram (between 7.7 and 10.7 US dollars). ).
The stores of the Atlantic coast of Canada, which for the time zones will be the first to open their doors on Wednesday, have established three levels of marijuana with different prices.
In the province of Nova Scotia, the drug will be sold in 12 stores of the provincial alcohol sales monopoly (NSLC) along with wine and other alcoholic beverages.
The province of New Brunswick, also on the east coast of Canada, has established a price range of between 7.5 and 14.99 Canadian dollars (5.7 and 11.5 US dollars).
The Government of the province of New Brunswick has created the public company Cannabis NB, which will market marijuana in physical stores and online.
Cannabis NB has a catalog of 76 products and on its website offers information as varied as the proper way to roll a marijuana cigarette or how to store the drug to maintain its freshness.
