Canadian airline passengers traveling within the country will soon be able to carry up to 30 grams of marijuana, a government official announced on Thursday.
“After October 17, 2018, passengers will be permitted to have a legal amount of cannabis, which is 30 grams, in either their carry-on or checked bag, if they are flying to a domestic destination (i.e., within Canada),” Delphine Denis, a spokeswoman for Transport Minister Marc Garneau, told Agence France-Presse.
Although passengers will be allowed to board the aircraft with marijuana, they won't be allowed to smoke it while in the air. While marijuana is legal in more than 40 U.S. states, the transport minister reminded travelers that south of the border, cannabis is still illegal under federal law.
“As long as the flight is domestic, people are allowed to bring up to a certain quantity for personal use. However, I would remind people if they’re going to a country like the United States, the rules of that country are the rules that apply,” Garneau said, according to Canadian broadcaster Global News.
Air Canada, the country’s largest airline, reminded travelers that if they were refused entry into another country because they were carrying marijuana, the traveler alone would “be responsible for the consequences,” including paying for another flight back to Canada.
The airline’s website also warned that due to "unforseen situations," domestic flights sometimes have to land at U.S. airports, where arriving with marijuana would be illegal.
Canada became the second country in the world to legalize the recreational use of marijuana when senators passed the Cannabis Act in June. The act will take effect on October 17.
“It’s been too easy for our kids to get marijuana—and for criminals to reap the profits. Today, we change that. Our plan to legalize & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted, following the historic ruling.
Citizens can carry 30 grams of marijuana for personal use, grow up to four plants and buy marijuana from authorized sellers, regulated by each province under the new law.
Elsewhere, in Uruguay, which legalized marijuana in 2013, most of the country's provinces still don’t have authorized dispensaries, and consumers are turning to the black market as sellers run out of the plant.
“The demand is greater than our productive capacity. We have to address that challenge,” Diego Olivera, the head of Uruguay’s National Drugs Council, told The Associated Press.
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