Justin Trudeau Says There Are No Downsides To Cannabis Legalization, Slams International Treaties' Excuse To Reject Reform

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were no downsides to cannabis legalization in a recent interview with France TV.

"The only downside we were extremely worried about was that it would place us in non-compliance with certain international treaties on drug control," Trudeau said. "We thought they could punish Canada because we’re not aligned with the treaties. But nobody talked to us about this, they were interested and looking at what we were doing.”

He was referring to the U.N. Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and the concerns of being slammed over the reform, which turned out to be unfounded, writes Business Of Cannabis.

The potential violation of UN treaties is often cited as one of the key reasons against cannabis legalization in many countries. Even in the U.S., the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) suggested rescheduling marijuana at the federal level would breach international treaty obligations.

Cannabis and international treaty obligations will be one of many hot topics discussed by industry experts at the upcoming  Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference next week.

This February Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) urged the DEA to drop those suggestions.

In a letter to DEA administrator Anne Milgram, Kamlager-Dove stressed international treaties neither mandate the inclusion of marijuana in Schedule I or II of the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) nor preclude the DEA from embracing the Schedule III reclassification recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in August 2023.

Trudeau’s comments could encourage countries that are considering cannabis reform, but refrain due to international treaty concerns.

"The other ‘downside' is that there is still work to be done, but there is nothing that would be negative enough to even say that we should not have done it," the Prime Minister added.

Canada legalized recreational cannabis use more than five years ago.

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The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is returning to Florida, in a new venue in Hollywood, on April 16 and 17, 2024. The two-day event at The Diplomat Beach Resort will be a chance for entrepreneurs, both large and small, to network, learn and grow. Renowned for its trendsetting abilities and influence on the future of cannabis, mark your calendars – this conference is the go-to event of the year for the cannabis world. Get your tickets now on bzcannabis.com – Prices will increase very soon!

Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Wikimedia Commons and RDNE Stock project via Pexels