Legal cannabis won't be on the shelves before August

News broke in Ottawa today that legal cannabis will not be on the shelves before August.

The announcement came following an agreement made by senators to hold a final vote on Bill C-45 on June 7 for the legislation that decides the details of legal cannabis.

Senate leadership has agreed to timetable on the Cannabis Act. The Senate will hold a final vote at third reading on or before June 7. I thank leaders of all groups in the Senate for the spirit of cooperation in coming to this agreement. #cdnpoli #SenCA https://t.co/JkluXoTJpU

— Peter Harder (@SenHarder) February 15, 2018

Even if Bill C-45 immediately passes through the Senate on June 7, provincial and territorial governments need eight to 12 weeks following royal assent to prepare for retail sales.

This schedule means legal cannabis won't be available until at least early August, and possibly not until a month later.

“This should give stakeholders, governments, businesses, law enforcement agencies and other Canadians a timeline for how and when the bill will be ultimately dealt with by the Upper Chamber,” said Sen. Peter Harder, the Government Representative in the Senate, on Thursday.

“I thank leaders of all groups in the Senate for the spirit of cooperation they’ve shown in coming to this agreement.”

Getting an inside look at the secure system Canada already has in place for the production of medical cannabis. Quality control is a key consideration at this facility in Smiths Falls #SenCA #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/ycIlLG25vI

— Grant Mitchell (@SenMitchell) February 12, 2018

As part of the deal struck by Sen. Peter Harder, the government's representative in the Senate, with other Senate factions, initial debate on Bill C-45 will continue until March 22.