As of October 17, 2018, the sight of a Canadian eating a cannabis-infused brownie on a front porch or smoking a joint outside an airport is not strange whatsoever. Now, after 100 years of prohibition and the avid support of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, people from Alberta and British Columbia to Newfoundland and the Northwest Territories can partake in some form of pot (with limits established by provincial laws). However, imagine the surprise of civilians when they spotted (of all things) an amnesty bin in the Toronto Pearson International Airport. What is an “amnesty bin” you might ask? Let’s just say it’s a “get-out-of-trouble-for-free car” for people carrying marijuana. Let’s take a closer look at the effectiveness of this disposal bin for the little green plant.
Keeping up with the Joneses
Interestingly, you will also be able to find these aptly labeled “amnesty bins” in the United States. Visitors to California, Nevada, and other states that have legalized the drug have set up these recycling bins for marijuana (and pot-infused products). However, once a Reddit user posted the image of the bin in the Toronto airport, the story exploded into a media firestorm on the Internet.
So, why did this story receive so much attention when the U.S. had already been establishing these bins? Simply put, the user falsely labeled the “amnesty bin” as a “free weed” bin (e.g. a place to pick up free cannabis). In response, Toronto Pearson officials corrected the statement by explaining what goes into these bins does not come out.
Trouble A-Brewing
Since the official legalization of the drug on October 17, Canada has had to set up a multitude of signs warning passengers about potential dangers they could face if they carry cannabis. Less than 10 days later, border officers arrested a New York man who had been trying to smuggle Canadian marijuana into the United States. As a result, the 23-year old faced charges for possessing a controlled drug, attempting to import this substance, and drug smuggling.
As a result, Canada established weed disposal bins, called “amnesty bins.”
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