Canada is to legalise recreational marijuana

Canada’s new government is to press ahead with a commitment made before October’s election to legalise marijuana for recreational purposes across the country.

Canada’s governor general, David Johnston, laid out the legislative programme of Justin Trudeau’s Liberals in the speech from the throne, including a pledge to “legalise, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana.”

The election promise to legalise marijuana dates from a year ago, but many observers believed that it was low on the new government’s list of priorities. During the election campaign it was Trudeau’s opponents, the Conservatives, who repeatedly drew attention to the …