There was very little proof after spending a week in Windsor that legal recreational marijuana exists in Canada.
The sign above reminds us that you can't take marijuana across the border, but easier to do if there is marijuana in Canada.
For now, the only legal options in Ontario are growing 4 or fewer plants in your own home or online via the Ontario Cannabis Store if the store is working as intended.
A group set up a symbolic injection site tent in an abandoned section on Ouellette Avenue, the main north-south street in downtown Windsor. That was as close as I got to drugs on the trip.
How the 2018 U.S. midterm elections might affect Canada
Marijuana tourism won't be going in the other direction in the short term, even though Michigan voters approved legal recreational marijuana on Election Day last week. As slow as Ontario has gone in the process, far behind all of Canada, except for Nunavat, Michigan marijuana will be slower in coming. This will keep the Windsor area a step ahead.
The bus shelter public service announcement (below) reminds us that the age for marijuana is 19, same as alcohol in Ontario. The age gap with Michigan (21+ for alcohol and marijuana) will prove advantageous.
While Michigan said yes to legal recreational marijuana, North Dakota said no but still has medical marijuana. Michigan joins other border states such as Alaska (Yukon); Maine (New Brunswick, Quebec); Vermont (Quebec); and Washington (British Columbia).
Opening Day for legal recreational marijuana in Canada
NAFTA 2.0, er, USMCA is a nightmarish trade deal for Canada
Ontario won't open private stores until at least April 1, 2019 and edibles won't be a factor until at least late 2019. The comparison might be that gambling started in Canada with casinos and then Detroit caught up eventually. Getting that head start is crucial.
The steel and aluminum tariffs that still exist, despite a USMCA/new NAFTA, are hurting the region financially. Adding marijuana to auto parts would be a huge financial boost to southwestern Ontario.
CanadianCrossing.com trade coverage
CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage
Most of Canada is open to legal recreational marijuana so marijuana tourism does exist elsewhere. Anecdotal evidence: Neither border crossing brought up marijuana. Your experience will vary.
photos credit: me
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