April was a big month for cannabis in Canada, as Prime Minister Trudeau and his Liberals announced legal marijuana will be made available by July of 2018. But are the feds being a bit optimistic with their legalization timeline?
Aside from the issue of existing UN drug treaties, which Canada is required to cooperate with, it’s possible that opposition parties in Parliament will be looking for significant amendments to the bill.
An article in the Hill Times stated that recommendations in the proposed legislation could be challenged by various MPs. These confrontations could include issues with the minimum age requirement of 18, how many plants will be permitted per household, and lengthy prison sentences for breaking the new laws.
Conservative Senator Bob Runciman told reporters that he “wouldn’t be surprised if there was at least an amendment dealing with the age factor.” Runciman added that he was personally in favour of amnesty for those with prior marijuana possession charges.
The call for leniency from a Conservative is surprising, considering that the party has been staunchly opposed to legalizing cannabis. The call for the removal of past convictions and total decriminalization has also been voiced by the Liberals’ loudest critic, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair.
Despite the call for amendments to the landmark bill, the Liberal Party has a majority, so is it possible that the naysayers could delay the rollout of legal cannabis for adults?
“The opposition can definitely slow down the bill, but I don’t anticipate that they would be able to slow it down so much that the July 2018 deadline would be at risk,” said University of Ottawa Law Professor Steven Hoffman in an interview with Marijuana.com. “Opposition has many opportunities to slow down a bill. For example, it can insist on additional study at the committee stage. [They] can request additional time, or invite additional witnesses that could extend the timeline required.”
Hoffman noted that the tools available to rivals seeking to impede the process are limited. “There is only so much they can do when there’s a majority that’s likely to be in support of the bill.”
As we forge ahead with cannabis history in the making, there will no doubt be resistance from groups who disagree, including those within the Canadian Government. In any democratic nation, however, it comes down to vote; right now, Justin Trudeau has as many as he needs to stay on course.
credit:marijuana.com
