Russia, a country whose government has historically been aloof of international – not to mention domestic – law, has called out Canada’s impending legalization of cannabis as being a “breach” of “international legal obligations.”
An statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry read, “We expect Canada’s partners in the G-7 to respond to its ‘high-handedness’ because this alliance has repeatedly declared its adherence to the domination of international law in relations between states.”
You know, the kind of international law that should prohibit one country from annexing part of another.
Russia claims international conventions that Canada has signed dictate members state restrict the use of cannabis only to medical and scientific purposes. It should be noted that the United States is also a signatory of said conventions. But while cannabis is legal in nine states, it remains prohibited at the federal level – presumably to the contentment of Russia.
Canadian lawmakers, meanwhile, remain chill about the whole thing. While Canada recognized that legalization could irk some allies and violate international drug control treaties, the government maintains that the decision was made to preserve that health and safety of its citizens.
It’s the same argument Uruguay has employed, though the progressive South American nation has faced economic backlash from our neighbours to the south. American banks have refused to do business with Uruguayan institutions that manage money derived from the sale of cannabis. It remains to be seen whether the same will happen to Canadian banks, especially in the midst of heightened trade tensions. And with border security now able to ravage our phones, it’s very possible to entering the U.S. gets a little more unpleasant after legalization.
ICYMI, weed will be legal in Canada on October 17 of this year. The recently passed legislation makes Canada only the second country – after Uruguay – to legalize cannabis on a federal level.