Over the past year, you've probably heard at least one person in your life pledge to move to Canada if things in the U.S. didn't go the way they preferred. But if you're concerned about the way marijuana laws are going in the states, you might have a new reason to consider that trip.
According to the Associated Press, Canada is set to legalize marijuana nationwide by July 1, 2018.
The AP reports that a senior government official said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government will introduce legislation to legalize recreational marijuana by the week of April 10, and the legislation should become law by next July.
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While Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould did not confirm the dates provided by the anonymous official, she told AP that the government is committed to firm regulation.
"This will be done in a careful way to keep it out of the hands of children and youth, and to stop criminals from profiting," the statement said. "In order to meet our commitment to legalize, the legislation will need to pass through the parliamentary process in a timely fashion."
The government is expected to follow guidelines from a marijuana task force headed by former Liberal Health Minister Anne McLellan. Under those guidelines, adults would be allowed to carry up to 30 grams of marijuana for recreational purposes and grow up to four plants.
In the U.S., several states have legalized marijuana, though Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been vocal about his opposition to marijuana, to say the least.
(Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity and would like to remind its readers that marijuana usage continues to be an offense under Federal Law, regardless of state marijuana laws. To learn more, click here.)