The Canadian Senate passing Bill C-45 Tuesday night, paving the way for the completion of the parliamentary process needed for the legalization of cannabis in Canada. The legislation now goes to the Governor-General for royal assent, which is expected to happen in the coming days.

Weyburn Mayor Marcel Roy has been following the passage of the bill closely. He knows there could be a number of impacts socially on communities across the country, including here in Weyburn.

“There’s going to be changes within society,” Roy explained. “I think the biggest change is going to be how the employers are going to have to deal with this, and although there’s been a lot of meetings around as to  how to deal with this, that’s going to be the biggest impact is on the workplace.”

There could also be financial impacts, both positive and negative for communities. Roy pointed out there will be an increase to the budget for police services across the country, as they have to roll out training on recognizing impaired drivers under the influence of cannabis, as well as other enforcement issues around the legislation.

The positives Roy saw include the creation of a niche cannabis tourism market, similar to what Colorado and Washington have seen south of the border. The recreational use of cannabis in Canada, though, could have concerns for those who are looking to travel to the United States, according to Roy.

As the information about the legalization comes out over the coming weeks, Roy said many municipalities will be playing things by ear.

“There’s going to be a lot of huge unknowns, it’s going to be a huge learning curve, and it's going to be learning as we go, and we’re just going to be basically seeing how everything's going to go out before we start making amendments to our bylaws and a bunch of law changes.”