Minister concedes current law is a mess, says Bill C-45, also referred to as the Cannabis Act, outlines the federal government's "robust regulatory framework" for legal marijuana. It makes several amendments to the Criminal Code, including provisions aimed at loosening penalties around possession and home cultivation (for personal use) as well as tightening laws that address impaired driving and youth access to marijuana. Government officials did not comment this week on the specifics of how provinces will execute a distribution plan, how cannabis will be taxed, and what kinds of revenues are expected to be generated. [continues 607 words]
Liberals Should Decriminalize It Now, Writes Marcus A. Sibley. The Liberal government has appointed a nine-member task force that will develop recommendations for a comprehensive plan on marijuana legalization and regulation. The move to research and invest in sensible marijuana reform comes as minor possession offences continue to be enforced and police have raided unlicensed pot shops. Unfortunately, the government has rejected the possibility of immediately decriminalizing marijuana possession. Decriminalization is not full legalization, but it would eliminate criminal penalty for marijuana-related offences and relieve the strain on an already over-used criminal justice system. The decision to appoint this task force without immediately decriminalizing possession not only flies in the face of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's mandate to implement meaningful moves toward "evidence-based policy," it also betrays the cannabis culture Canadians have cultivated over the last 30 years. [continues 487 words]
It's not right to give people criminal records for an act soon to be legal, Marcus A. Sibley says. The Liberal government has appointed a nine-member task force that will develop recommendations for a comprehensive plan on marijuana legalization and regulation. The move to research and invest in sensible marijuana reform comes at a time when minor possession offences continue to be enforced and police raids on unlicensed pot shops have expanded across the country. Unfortunately, the government has rejected the possibility of immediately decriminalizing marijuana possession. [continues 567 words]
