Quebec’s populist CAQ government passed Bill 2, raising the legal age of consumption from 18 (Canada’s lowest) to 21 (the highest) as of January 1, 2020.
CBC Montreal, CTV News
- Bill 2 also increased municipal powers to ban public cannabis smoking and vaping.
- Analyst Chris Damas estimated the age change will reduce legal REC sales by roughly 10%, or $20M.
HuffPost - The bill was assailed by researchers, analysts, public health professionals, and the REC industry.
Twitter—Rebecca Haines-Saah and Steve Rolles, La Presse—In French, NewsWire
Québec Solidaire party leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois accused the CAQ of “acting like a doddering old uncle [‘un vieux mononcle’] who believes he knows better than young people do what’s best for them.”
Journal de Montreal—In French, My Translation
- Health minister Lionel Carmant said the law is scheduled to be reviewed in the future.
The Leaf
When the CAQ government tabled the bill this winter, I noted in a Leafly article that then-MP François Legault said during the 2018 election, “Young people from 18 to 21 will go on the black market to buy cannabis, but I don’t want, as premier of Quebec, to send the signal that it’s normal to consume cannabis below the age of 21.”
Leafly
- Health minister Lionel Carmant argued raising the age to 21 will protect those younger than 18 from accessing cannabis.
La Presse—In French - Quebeckers may still buy tobacco and alcohol at 18.
Quick Hits
- Toronto got its first Cannabis Wedding Expo.
CBC Toronto
