Recreational Marijuana is now legal to consume in the Lakeland. The drug had been banned in Canada for recreational use since 1923. The first day of legal recreational pot use has 17 stores open for business in the Wild Rose province. The closest to the Lakeland would be in Fort Saskatchewan or St. Albert.
Marijuana stores will eventually come to the Lakeland. Cold Lake has seen at least five development permits issued. Bonnyville has also seen interest in at least one location. An Alberta Liquor and Gaming commision license needs to be granted before a store can open. In the meantime, users will be able to buy marijuana from the Alberta Cannabis website.
As for consumption, Cold Lake says it’s fine as long as the user is in their own private property. In a release issued on October 16th, the city outlined what it considers a “public space”. Areas such as campgrounds and parks are a no-go amongst others. A full list can be seen on the city website.
The town of Bonnyville will follow a similar structure. Council had originally been a bit looser on public consumption but an October 9th vote in council will see the bylaw looked at again to tighten the area that residents will have to spark up.
Driving while high will be punished similarly to that as driving drunk. License suspensions and ignition interlock programs are just some of the penalties for being caught under the influence.
The minimum age for marijuana sales will be set at 18 in the province. The legalization of the drug came about as a 2015 campaign promise from Justin Trudeau and the Liberals.