Canada to stay the course on cannabis

By Robert Frank 

The Trudeau government’s plan to decriminalize recreational marijuana use this summer appears unaffected by last week’s American reversal.

Questions arose as to whether Canada would put its plan on hold, after United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced, Jan 4, that he will rescind a 2013 Obama-administration instruction which directed American federal attorneys not to prioritize prosecuting users in states that had voted to legalize marijuana.

“I think the Prime Minister [Justin Trudeau] made it clear that there are no changes,” to the timetable for the draft legislation, which is currently before the Senate, Health Canada director of communications Yves-Alexandre Comeau told The Suburban.

He reiterated that the bill remains on track to become law in “the month of July”. Although Ontario’s legalization legislation will come into effect, July 1, Trudeau has explicitly foresworn that date, which could inadvertently lead people to dub Canada Day as Cannabis Day.

In the meantime, the feds are currently conducting a national campaign to counter drug-impaired driving.

“Our focus is on public education,” Comeau said in a telephone interview. “By the end of February or early March, we’ll be launching a public health awareness campaign, to ensure that people are aware of the risks of using cannabis. But in terms of the legislation date, there are no changes following [Attorney General Sessions’] announcements today.”

Border concerns remain

Federal Public Safety Minister Goodale remains in close touch with his American counterpart to address any potential sensitivities to the draft legislation, south of the border.

Last year, his Parliamentary Secretary Mark Holland told Global Television’s The West Block that Canadians should be honest about their pot use when crossing the border, even if that could mean being turned away.

“Exporting and importing cannabis is illegal today and will remain illegal after under this law,” Goodale’s press secretary Scott Barthley told The Suburban. “Since the bill was introduced, we’ve kept in very close touch with the United States about the legalization of cannabis, as we do about all cross-border issues.”

“What we do expect of our American counterparts, just as they expect from us, is that when people present themselves at the border that their experience is respectful, that it’s consistent, that it’s professional and that people are not treated in any kind of arbitrary way,” he said in a telephone interview, “and, if they are, there are ways that they can file formal complaints with respect to their treatment, if it is not in accordance with the law.”