Russia doesn’t seem to be a big fan of Canada’s decision to legalize recreational cannabis.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Canada cannabis legalization is a “breach” of the country’s “international legal obligations.”

“We expect Canada’s partners in the G-7 to respond to its ‘high-handedness’ because this alliance has repeatedly declared its adherence to the domination of international law in relations between states,” the ministry declared in an official statement.

The ministry drew attention to the fact that Canada is a signatory for numerous international conventions. A handful of those international conventions ask that cannabis and other drugs be restricted to medical and scientific use.

Under Canada’s new cannabis law, the plant will be permitted for recreational use and sold inside state-run shops.

Canada has legalized cannabis for recreational use

On June 19, a “historic” bill was passed with a vote of 52-29 that would pave the way for Canada’s legal recreational cannabis industry. Canada is the world’s second nation (Uruguay was the first nation, passing legislation in 2013) to legalize recreational cannabis.

Moreover, Canada is the first G-7 country to pass legislation of this kind, with the new regulations expected to go into effect on October 17.

Canada is not shy about its open-minded approach to drugs. The nation endorsed the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention of Psychotropic Substances and the 1988 U.N. Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

So, if Russia claims that Canada is in “breach” of the conventions, what about the U.S.?

Well, even though the U.S. has legalized cannabis for recreational use in nine states, the plant remains illegal at the federal level.

Former President Barack Obama’s administration asked federal law enforcement to keep their noses out of law-abiding cannabis businesses in weed-legal states. Despite this, Attorney General Jeff Sessions went out of his way to ensure federal agents were as involved as possible – something that is negatively impacting lawful cannabis businesses and banks in the states.

Cannabis is completely illegal in Russia

Anyone who is caught in Russia with six (or less) grams of cannabis will not be committing a crime as such. Rather, this is deemed to be “administrative violation of the law.” In simple terms, you are going to get into some serious trouble if you get caught with cannabis since it is completely illegal in Russia. This means you are not allowed to grow, buy or smoke it, regardless of your reasons for doing so.