Trudeau: Recreational Cannabis Will Be Legal By Summer
Despite the back and forth going on about the progress of adult-use cannabis in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just confirmed on Thursday that it will be legalized by summer.
Some senators have urged Trudeau to delay legalization by as much as a year, with the intention of asking for time to consult with the indigenous people. Trudeau told reporters that the Liberal government will still push through with its cannabis policy, indicated on its first mandate as a pledge to undo prohibition. “We have been working with our partners across the country to make this happen and we are going to be moving forward this summer on the legalization of cannabis,” the Prime Minister said.
“Obviously, as I’ve said many times, this is not an event, this is a process, and we will continue to work with our partners in the municipalities, in provinces, and Indigenous leadership in communities to make sure we’re doing this right and moving forward in a responsible way.”
The Senate Aboriginal peoples committee proposed that Bill C-45, a measure which would abolish criminal punishment for adult cannabis possession, should be modified to cater to the delay in recreational use for as long as a year. They also said that the government should invest time in making “culturally sensitive” documents for Indigenous people, warning them about the risks of cannabis consumption, and work on a profit sharing agreement with governments of First Nations which helps ensure that they benefit from the millions of dollars which the Canadian government is expecting to collect in cannabis taxes. They also suggested that the federal government should allocate 20% of all licenses specifically for Indigenous communities so that it would be easier for them to conduct business in the industry.
Chief commissioner of the First Nations Tax Commission, Manny Jules, asked senators to amend the legislation as well as other recommendations, and provide Indigenous communities with the resources they need to develop their own laws related to cannabis use. The Senate committee also made recommendations after discussions with representatives of the Indigenous community who find that federal consultation with them has been inadequate. According to the government, the task force created to analyze the issues prior to the introduction of the legislation had already engaged in dialogue with the Indigenous community, and have heard out their concerns.
Bill C-45, which is made up of 148 pages, lacks information on the role that Indigenous communities would play once the new cannabis legislations are finalized. They have noted that the word “Aboriginal” has only been used once, and only in the “definition” portion of the bill.
Delays With Home Cultivation
The delay was also spurred when stakeholders brought up the issue with cultivation. The new legal framework would allow adults to grow as much as four cannabis plants at home. The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) issued a warning that home cultivation may lead to a drop in real estate prices, and it may also lead to some properties being considered uninsurable since banks and financial institutions are hesitant to offer protection for properties that have been used for cannabis-related activities due to the possibility of structural damages.
On the other hand, Canada’s police worry that allowing cannabis plants to be grown from home may lead to an uptick in property crimes. Because of this, Manitoba and Quebec said that they will be prohibiting home cultivation regardless of what federal law says. But Trudeau announced that he expects that all provinces follow the federal law precisely as it’s been written out, which means that Manitoba and Quebec may not be exempted from making changes to federal law.
“The decision and the ways we have chosen to move forward are based on months, if not years, of consultations with experts and looking at best practices around the world and looking at the best way to eliminate criminal elements,” Trudeau announced in French.
“The decision on home cultivation of up to four plants was based on logic and evidence and it’s one that we will continue to establish as part of the legal framework.” Once the bill has passed, federal government expects full legalization to occur 8 up to 12 weeks after, so as to give provinces time to adjust to the system.
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