Canada faces marijuana shortage just 4 days after legalization

加拿大在大麻合法化後4天面臨短缺問題

Supplies fall short of demand in Canada while Taiwan still heavily punishes possessors


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Distributors in Canada are reportedly running out of stock as demand for legal cannabis continues to surge.

Marijuana was legalized in Canada on Wednesday (Oct. 17) to the joy of many a Canadian citizen, with festivities erupting throughout the country and smokers lining up to buy their first legal gram. TIME Magazine quoted one happy customer as saying, “I’ve been waiting my whole life for this.”

Despite the jubilance, Canadian police are now reporting that stockists are failing to meet enormous demands, with supplies running low throughout the country.

Canada is the largest country to fully legalize cannabis for recreational use. It is available upon medical prescription in certain U.S. states but is banned by federal law, meaning its legality remains a fuzzy and somewhat contradictive issue.

Consumption of the plant is also fully legal in Uruguay and although not technically legal in the Netherlands, the country has enjoyed a cannabis culture for many years, with authorities turning a blind eye to small-scale distributors.

Local authorities in Canada are doing their best to help distributors recuperate stock but admit demand has far exceeded expectations. Cannabis has been legal for medical use in the country since 2001 but under new laws, citizens can carry up to 30 grams in public without facing charges and grow up to four plants at home.

Marijuana remains firmly banned in Taiwan, with little public support for its legalization. Despite online commentators joking it could give Taiwan an edge on the cultural soft power front in Asia, authorities deal out heavy punishments for those found in possession.

Two citizens were arrested yesterday for attempting to import cannabis disguised as an online exercise equipment purchase. A U.S. national was apprehended by police last year for obliviously smoking it on the sidewalk, in what he claimed was a celebration of “International Cannabis Day.”

The jury is still out on the long-term impacts of smoking cannabis. Users in countries where it is legal have lauded its benefits in terms alleviating chronic pain, the effects of multiple sclerosis and symptoms of depression. Some reports have suggested it can increase anxiety and paranoia but international media states these study results are not 100% conclusive.

The drug is listed as a category 2 narcotic under Taiwan’s Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act. Possession can result in three years imprisonment, with up to seven for those caught planting or trafficking.