After the Senate voted to pass a bill legalizing recreational cannabis in Canada, the legislation sparked headlines and social media reaction around the globe.
News of the bill passing made its way onto CNN, Newsweek, and the BBC, to name a few. Most of the international stories chose to compare Canada鈥檚 new law to their own and speculate about the possibility of Canada鈥檚 rules spreading elsewhere.
While the Washington Post kept it simple with a headline reading 鈥淐anada's Senate votes to legalize marijuana,鈥 Esquire magazine was a tad edgier with 鈥淐anada just legalized marijuana throughout the whole damn country.鈥 CBS News had an entire story speculating about the future of legal pot in the U.K., titled 鈥淎fter Canada, will U.K. be next to legalize marijuana?鈥
A number of stories quoted an AFP interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from May where he states that several countries would likely follow suit with legalization after seeing how it goes in Canada.
Other news organizations pointed out that Trudeau has admitted to smoking marijuana 鈥渇ive or six times鈥 with his friends.
Vox, an American news and opinion website, and said if international treaties against drug trafficking aren鈥檛 changed, they could be rendered useless, which would open up the world to legalized pot.
In the United States, nine states have already legalized recreational marijuana, although it鈥檚 illegal federally. During a media availability at the recent G7 summit, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he would 鈥減robably鈥 support a bill currently making its way through Washington that would no longer consider buying and selling pot drug trafficking.
Business Insider, an American financial and business news website, by referring to a 鈥渘ew鈥 May 7 report from CIBC indicating legal marijuana could outsell liquor in Canada by 2020.
On Late Night with Seth Meyers, during his monologue and joked the rules 鈥渕ake sense considering their prime minister is already smoking.鈥
On social media, several people chose to contrast the difference in federal politics between Canada and our neighbours to the South, comparing Canada鈥檚 pot laws to American immigration policy, in which children are being separated from their parents after illegally crossing the border.
*Runs into Canada @ Farmers Market*
鈥 Ben Philippe (@gohomeben)
CANADA: "Omg, hi! I just legalized marijuana!"
"Congrats"
CANADA: "How have you been? Something about babies & borders?"
"It's been a busy few days"
CANADA: "Lol, gotta run but let's def catch up at the UN Human Rights Council! Kisses!"
So Canada legalizes marijuana and we鈥檙e locking up toddlers? Yea, making America so great again...
鈥 Kameron Michaels (@KameronMichaels)
Top news story in the United States: Immigration detention centres are separating children from their parents and holding them.
鈥 TheAsianGoddess鈩笍 (@theasiangoddesx)
Top news story in Canada: Senate votes to legalise marijuana.
Canada has now legalized marijuana while we are still prosecuting individuals way to go America we are doin a real good job
鈥 moisturemob21 (@Keepitmoist21)
Way to go Canada for legalizing marijuana! With the a$$ in the white house, we won鈥檛 do it soon, but it is inevitable, and it is about time. Safe access to ALL drugs would make this world a much better place. (Besides, weed is safer than alcohol, nicotine and likely sugar!)
鈥 jalfern (@jalfern)
Other users announced plans to either visit or make the move to Canada following Tuesday鈥檚 announcement.
Bruh Canada just legalized recreational marijuana. I鈥檓 moving
鈥 A Hot Potato (@KAMaldonado12)
Canada legalized marijuana... I need to go back
鈥 Fuego El Negro (@fuego782)