Canadian lawmakers voted to make marijuana legal. Marijuana supporters are calling the vote historic.
John Liedtke is the co-owner of Higher Limits Cannabis Lounge in Windsor.
“Just like you can go to a bar or a restaurant and buy a pint of beer or shot of whiskey or glass of wine, we believe you should be able to come here and you should be able to buy a pre-rolled joint or a bong that’s filled.”
They created a hangout spot for users and non-users.
“When we saw that the opportunity for cannabis legalization was on the doorstep with the election of Justin Trudeau, we thought this was the perfect time for us to open up this space.”
For the past two years, Higher Limits opened their doors to medical marijuana users, but it’s on a BYOC basis -- bring your own cannabis.
“We have people in dormitories who can’t consume their medical cannabis, we have people who live inside condos who can’t consume their medical cannabis, we have people who live inside apartment buildings,” Liedtke explained.
They sell snacks, food and marijuana accessories.
But they’re hoping to do more once the law goes into effect.
Many folks are calling the vote historic, but some Canadians we spoke with had mixed reactions.
Windsor resident Mike Yim said, “You have to do it with the right legislation in place and make sure it’s handled responsibly.”
A woman who didn’t want to be identified explained, “Telling kids it’s okay to take drugs so then the kids see it and then they are more likely to take drugs too.”
In Michigan, voters will take to the ballots in November about legalizing marijuana.
A recent Gallop poll shows one in eight Americans say they currently use pot.
Since Windsor is a bordering city, Liedtke believes he will have many new customers from the states.
“One, come here we’re really friendly. Two, don’t bring it back that’s a really dumb idea. Three get a hotel room, spend some time here.”
Marijuana will become legal in Canada starting October 17th, giving its provinces and territories time to set up regulations.
