[CANADA – June 29, 2015] For years illegal marijuana has been transported to the United States from Canada. This leaves many to wonder could legal, made in Canada marijuana, become a global export. New rules were introduced on April 1, 2014 that laid the groundwork for what many supporters feel may be the start to legalization of the substance in Canada. Under the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR), Health Canada no longer provides marijuana to those with authorized medical needs. Instead licensed commercial producers provide for those with medical needs.

In Canada, the general public funds the marijuana industry as there are publically traded marijuana companies in Canada. Also, banks are financing the marijuana business. Though the United States state voters approved the personal use of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, some believe that widespread legalization is not in the near future. Some wonder if Canada’s business will allow us to cultivate business practices and techniques, allowing export to the United States once both countries legalize marijuana. There are some differences in the U.S. system and the Canadian system. They are opposite in many ways. Canada has a stable federal system that affords many more advantages than the U.S. In the U.S. laws are dramatically different from state to state and the government is far more stringent. In regards to the quality assurance, Canadian quality assurance regulations are more stringent than that of the U.S.

Though it may be a reality in the future, marijuana made in Canada and exported to the U.S. may one day be a reality. Though Canadians are more progressive in their regulations, there is a long list of applicants that invest significant amounts of money for cultivation licenses that have been blocked by the bureaucratic procedure. In the end, many supports believe that the voice of the medical community will hold a strong arm, paving the way to legalization in America.

Legalization may make it more difficult to buy marijuana in Canada. Vancouver City Hall announced that they will start licensing the Vancouver city marijuana dispensaries.

[VANCOUVER, BC– June 23, 2015] – Though the vice laws in Canada have seen many changes in the last few years, it has not radically affected how law enforcement and the Canadians behave. On April 20, 2015, Vancouver was home to the world’s unofficial marijuana holiday. More than 30,000 people convened around the Vancouver Art Gallery for the annual smoke out. The event that began in the 1990’s has since become the largest open air markets in Vancouver. The event included more than 300 vendors selling marijuana infused products. Interestingly enough, since the event is technically considered to be a protest, there are no permits required, no age limits, and no sales tax collected, as it is considered illegal transactions. Several thousand people gathered for the event, and it is treated more as a civic union rather than something to be stopped by the police. Though police are there, they are only there to direct traffic and assure public safety. This leads one to wonder, is it legal or illegal?

Technically, marijuana, it’s by products, derivatives and preparations, are banned in Canada. Those needing it for medical purposes can obtain marijuana, with a doctor’s authorization, from an Ottawa-sanctioned catalogue of commercial growers. Otherwise, those found in possession of marijuana are subject up to five years in a federal prison. In current times, thousands live their entire lives without a clue that cannabis is illegal. Though in smaller locales being in possession of a joint might get you arrested, in larger locales, it is easier to get high now than it could ever be under legalization. As such, Vancouver City Hall recently announced that they would begin licensing over 80 of the city’s marijuana dispensaries. This is more than the amount of McDonald’s franchises in the area. Though the city does not have jurisdiction regulating the sale of marijuana, it does have jurisdiction to regulate how and where businesses operate. Despite the license Vancouver provides dispensaries, the purchase and sale of cannabis remains illegal. The activity continues however because the Vancouver law enforcement has openly declared they have no intention of doing anything about it. With this, most citizens under the age of 30 years old, have never known a world in which they could be cited for anything less than shipping a container full of cannabis. It is important to note that though there is a sense of acceptance to marijuana the rally event sent 64 people to hospital with symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Seven per cent of drivers that were injured in car crashes had consumed marijuana just hours earlier, and two year ago, marijuana was named as the reason for a trail derailment of a B.C. train.

With the ability to obtain marijuana tax-free and readily available on most street corners in Vancouver, other cities may quickly following leading many to wonder, is it legal or illegal?