Cannabis in Nunavut
Cannabis in Nunavut, as in the rest of Canada, will become legal for recreational use on the effective date of the Cannabis Act on October 17, 2018.[1] Due to delays caused by the October 30th territorial election in 2017, Nunavut will be the last territory to announce its legal cannabis framework.[2] Cannabis is already[when?] legal in Nunavut for medical purposes.[3]
Contents
2017 Cannabis Legalisation Survey[edit]
In August and September of 2017, Nunavut residents 16 and up were encouraged to fill out a brief online survey with their opinions on the upcoming legalization of cannabis. The results were released in December 2017, based on the feedback of 1,148 respondents. Among the survey's findings:[4]
- 75% of respondents supported legalizing cannabis, with 19% opposed and 6% no opinion
- Nearly three-quarters of respondents want restrictions on where cannabis can be smoked, but fewer than half wanted restrictions on where non-smoked products could be used.
- Respondents were "particularly interested" in cannabis's effects on "children, youth and pregnant women."
In order to limit election interference, the results of the poll were held until after the territorial election on 30 October.[5]
History[edit]
In the 1980s, W. C. E. Rasing studied conditions in the village of Igloolik, and reported that 40-60% of the population aged twelve to forty used cannabis or hashish.[6] This is in contrast to a 1970 study in the same village which reported occasional alcohol abuse and no other substance abuse.[7]
Enforcement[edit]
Along with the Yukon and Northwest Territories, in 2016 Nunavut saw a decrease in cannabis arrests compared to previous years, with 16 charged with cannabis possession and 45 charged with cannabis trafficking in 2016.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ Cannabis Information. Government of Nunavut
- ^ Community consultations on legal weed coming to Nunavut in January - North - CBC News
- ^ NunatsiaqOnline 2017-10-06: NEWS: Nunavut hamlets work to get ready for marijuana legalization
- ^ NunatsiaqOnline 2017-12-15: NEWS: Three-quarters of Nunavut survey respondents support legalizing pot: survey
- ^ NunatsiaqOnline 2017-09-18: NEWS: Nunavut cannabis survey results won’t be released prior to election
- ^ David Damas (May 2004). Arctic Migrants/Arctic Villagers: The Transformation of Inuit Settlement in the Central Arctic. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. pp. 200–. ISBN 978-0-7735-2405-7.
- ^ Roy J. Shephard; Andris Rode (23 February 1996). The Health Consequences of 'Modernisation': Evidence from Circumpolar Peoples. Cambridge University Press. pp. 82–. ISBN 978-0-521-47401-6.
- ^ Pot charges continue downward trend in N.W.T., Nunavut, stay the same in Yukon - North - CBC News
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
- Cannabis Information, Government of Nunavut
