Japanese and South Korean citizens are banned from using legal cannabis in Canada
Last week, a few hours before the decriminalization of cannabis in Canada, the South Korean embassy in Ottawa reminded on Twitter: South Korean law still classifies cannabis as a prohibited substance. "Please keep in mind that by purchasing marijuana, you will be punished for committing a criminal offense," the embassy warned.
Earlier, the country's foreign ministry issued a similar warning: any South Korean citizen caught with marijuana could face serious legal consequences even after the drug was legalized in Canada. The ministry also does not hide: travelers from Canada and their belongings will be subjected to enhanced checks upon entering South Korea.
Earlier this month, the Consulate General of Japan in Vancouver published a similar statement, saying that laws prohibiting the purchase of cannabis "may apply not only in Japan but also in foreign countries."
As Russianweek.ca notes, the governments of these countries did not specify how they intend to monitor whether their citizens smoke marijuana while in Canada. According to statistics, in 2017 Canada was visited by 304,000 Japanese and 286,000 tourists from South Korea.