Cannabis legalisation update: Canadian PM to legalise marijuana across the country; Israel leads the way in medical cannabis research

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to launch plans to legalise marijuana across Canada. He is in favour of a law being set that will allow the drug to be used legally from the age of 18. His government will be publishing the draft legislation on the legalisation of marijuana later this year.

Once the new rules are in effect, citizens may carry up to 30 grams of cannabis, stated CBC News. However, it seems there will be a debate on the age at which it will be considered legal to buy cannabis. Although Trudeau wants the legal age to be 18, Conservative politicians, who have now joined hands with Canadian Medical Association, wants the age to be 21. They are of the opinion that cannabis can damage brain development up to 25 years of age. It is also possible that each Canadian province will set the legal age as per legal age for drinking alcohol.

Trudeau believes the proposal to align with the legal drinking age is a reasonable compromise. As the maximum misdeeds occur at a lower age than 18 or 19, this alignment seems logical, practical and useful. The government is under pressure from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. The law enforcement body believes that people should not be allowed to grow marijuana in their homes, as it will be too much of a burden for the officials. For now, the use of cannabis remains illegal in Canada, reports Independent.

Earlier, a government taskforce had suggested that people can grow marijuana in their homes, provided they don’t grow more than four plants and also limit the height of each plant to 100 centimetres. This would reduce fire risks. Canada has one of the highest rates of cannabis use and government officials are now of the opinion that criminalising the drug has been a massive failure. Health Minister Jane Philpott told The Toronto Star that despite making marijuana legal, the product will still have potential risks associated with it.

Philpott continued by saying that this is the precise reason why taking a public health approach is critical in spreading awareness about the drug. There should also be a string focus on public education. The rate of cannabis use is extremely high among young people. Hence, a public health approach is absolutely essential. Meanwhile, Israel is leading the way in medical marijuana research and is set to become a global leader. The world's best cannabis scientists and researchers are out of Israel, and there’s no country even close to it.

Israel is among the first countries that legalised medicinal cannabis. Recreational use of marijuana remains illegal in the country, writes U.S. News.