A task force appointed by the Canadian government to study the legalization of marijuana determined Tuesday that sales should be restricted to those 18 and older, with a personal possession limit of 30 grams.
The Canadian Medical Association had recommended setting the age at 21, with strict limits on quantity and potency until 25. But the task force said higher age limits would simply drive young consumers into the hands of the black market, something the government hopes to actively discourage with its push to legalize pot.
Provinces and territories should, however, be provided with the flexibility to set their own age restrictions on purchasing the drug, the report said. The nine U.S. jurisdictions that have legalized marijuana sales have matched the age limit to the drinking age of 21.
"Now is the time to move away from a system that has, for decades, been focused on the prohibition of cannabis into a regulated legal market," said Anne McLellan, a former Liberal cabinet minister and chair of the task force.
"I think we're all aware of the challenges and societal problems that the existing system has created," she said, pointing to the flourishing illicit market for the drug.
