As the DEA continues its review of marijuana’s scheduling status, with some lawmakers warning that a change could be in violation of international treaties, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says for his country it has not been an issue.
Canada legalized recreational marijuana for everyone 18 and older in 2018, becoming just the second country to do so following Uruguay. In a recent interview with journalist Mathieu Kassovitzt, Trudeau was asked about any potential downsides of legalizing marijuana, which Trudeau strongly supported.
“The only downside we were extremely worried about was that it would place us in non-compliance with certain international treaties on drug control”, said Trudeau. “We thought they could punish Canada because we’re not aligned with the treaties.”
Trudeau says that despite this fear, “nobody talked to us about this, they were interested and looking at what we were doing.”
These comments are relevant to the US, given the DEA is considering a recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services to move marijuana to Schedule III. This would not legalize marijuana for recreational use like Canada has done, but it would legalize it nationwide for prescription use. Some lawmakers are arguing this is a violation of international drug treaties.
For example, three US senators recently sent a letter to the DEA urging them to retain marijuana as a Schedule I drug, with one of their main arguments being that it would “ensure compliance with the United States’ treaty obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (Single Convention)”.
Trudeau’s comments indicate that the US is likely to face little pushback if marijuana is moved to Schedule I, given Canada has had no issues with their law that allows recreational marijuana not just for those 21 and older like the 24 legal marijuana states in the US, but for those 18+.
It’s worth noting that Uruguay, which legalized marijuana in 2013, has also faced no international issues following implementation of their law.
