If you live under a rock or never toke up, then you might not have heard that the legal age for cannabis consumption will be raised from 18 to 21 on the first day of the new year.
The law will also ban the public consumption of cannabis. I guess that means you won’t be able to enjoy your joint on your way to the nearest munchies. This law is meant to regulate the number of young consumers and their vulnerability to the drug.
Another law that has stirred some controversy is the values test aimed at immigrants heading to the province. Premier François Legault said he thinks “it’s important if somebody wants to come and live in Quebec, to know that, for example, women are equal to men.”
Were you thinking of applying to move here permanently? Well, just make sure you have “aligned values.” But does a government that takes away the right for women to wear a hijab at their place of work believe women are equal to men?
Bill 21 has been heavily criticized for being a blatant form of discrimination, aimed mainly at women. It bans teachers, police officers and judges from wearing religious symbols at work. CBC News reported Prime Minister Trudeau saying the law is “unfair, unequal treatment [and] state-sponsored, systemic oppression.”
What does this mean for Canada? Well, it’s not as though Trudeau was rushing to fix these forms of systemic racism in the country. In fact, the CBC reported one of his priorities “is going to be on responding to [frustrations with the economic challenges], the way we’re going to be working to make life more affordable for all Canadians.” I guess he’s going to be prioritizing the oil and natural gas sector.
Also, if you were hoping your vote towards Canada’s favourite costume boy was for climate action, you have been pranked.
Graphic by Victoria Blair