Canada’s Marijuana Legalization Bill Gets Final Approval From Lawmakers

After about seven months of legislative debate, Canadian lawmakers approved a bill to fully legalize marijuana nationwide on Tuesday.

Though the bill must still receive “royal assent” from the Governor General before the law is officially sanctioned, that step is generally viewed as a formality. At that point, Canada will become the first G7 nation to legalize recreational cannabis.

The decision in the Senate, which voted 52-29, with two abstentions, to approve the Cannabis Act, comes a week after the House of Commons approved 25 of the Senate’s amendments and rejected 13 others. About two weeks ago, the Senate gave initial approved the amended bill 56-30.

Some Conservative and Independent senators expressed reservations about the final bill, particularly the rejection of an amendment that would have given individual provinces the authority to ban home cultivation of cannabis.

A vote to amend the legislation with respect to the home grow issue, which would have sent the bill back to the House, was voted down, 35-45 with one abstention.

Vote result on @senatcarignan's amendment to @SenHarder's motion related to the House of Commons response to the Senate's amendments to Bill #C45: Yeas: 35 Nays: 45 Abstentions: 1 #SenCA#cdnpoli

— Senate of Canada (@SenateCA) June 19, 2018

.@SenateCA And the conservative motion to amend is DEFEATED. #cdnpoli#c45

— Tony Dean (@TonyDean_TO) June 19, 2018

Other Senate amendments that were rejected by the House include a ban on marijuana companies distributing “branded merchandise” and a requirement to establish a national registry “for shareholders involved in marijuana companies,” CTV News reported.

In April, three Senate committees submitted reports outlining their concerns about the legalization bill and offering recommendations that included a proposed one-year delay to better consult with Indigenous peoples. However, the Senate Aboriginal Peoples Committee later redacted that recommendation.

But in spite of the concerns of some committees and lawmakers, the legislation cleared its last major hurdle.

It will still take a few months before Canada implements a retail cannabis sales system. Liberal MP Bill Blair, the Canadian government’s point person on parliamentary cannabis legalization efforts, estimated that, pending royal assent, marijuana will be fully legalized and available for purchase in September.

The federal point-man on #pot, Bill Blair, says that if the legislation to legalize #marijuana passes by the end of the week, the government will eye a September date to implement the new regime. https://t.co/Ck2Zrx9DSF

— EquityInsight (@EquityInsightCA) June 18, 2018

Following the vote, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that “[i]t’s been too easy for our kids to get marijuana – and for criminals to reap the profits.”

It’s been too easy for our kids to get marijuana – and for criminals to reap the profits. Today, we change that. Our plan to legalize & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate. #PromiseKept

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 20, 2018

“Today, we change that. Our plan to legalize & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate.”

The Cannabis Act will legalize the possession, use, cultivation and sale of marijuana for adults 18 and older. Individuals would be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis and grow up to four plants.

The bill also outlines criminal penalties for illegal distribution and sales of cannabis, crossing international borders with cannabis and possession over the legal limit.

United Nations Panel Releases First-Ever Review of Marijuana

Photo courtesy of Cannabis Culture.

Canada Marijuana Legalization Bill Clears Critical Hurdle

A bill to to legalize marijuana in Canada passed a crucial step on Thursday, with the Senate approving the legislation at third reading. If ultimately implemented, Canada would become the first G7 nation to fully legalize cannabis.

The bill, C-45, represents a key campaign promise of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party—and it was sponsored by Independent Senator Tony Dean. The bill passed the traditionally conservative Senate 56-30, with one abstention.

Dean said he “would rather not let those harms [of prohibition] continue both on the social side and the health side,” in a closing statement. “I would like to join other jurisdictions—like those in the U.S.—that have seen signification diversion” of marijuana from the black market to a regulated system.

The vote took place one day after the prime minister announced the appointment of two Independent senators to vacant seats, sworn in hours before the vote, which some saw as an effort to ensure the legalization bill passed.

Appointment of 2 new Independent Senators announced last night. Swearing in ceremony announced for today. It’s almost as if Trudeau govt knows how they’ll vote on Pot Legislation tonight. #C45

— Senator Linda Frum (@LindaFrum) June 7, 2018

So these Conservative Senators both opposed #C45 but are going to profit from it because of impending investments in the industry? That does not really sound like “opposition” to me. Sounds more like mouthing the party line despite realizing it is stupid. https://t.co/dIhWavbxAb

— KirkTousaw (@KirkTousaw) June 7, 2018

What’s next?

Because the Senate also approved almost 50 amendments throughout the debate process—including one that would let individual provinces prohibit home-grown cannabis and another to limit cannabis companies’ ability to use products like t-shirts and hats to advertise their brands—the legislation must first go back to the House of Commons. Should the House accept the amended language of the bill, legalization would “technically” be the law of the land, CTV News reported.

The reason for that technical stipulation is that the government estimates that it will take as many as 12 weeks before the retail sales system is implemented. The bill must also be approved by “Royal Assent,” which is generally a formality where a representative of the Canadian monarchy sanctions the legislation.

A technical amendment approved during the third reading on Thursday would require a committee review of the legislation five years after implementation.

A minor technical amendment to #CannabisAct passes in a vote of the full Senate. It was to require a committee of the Senate and the House of Commons to conduct a comprehensive review of the act after five years. Passes without opposition.#Cannabis#C45

— Glen Korstrom (@GlenKorstrom) June 7, 2018

What C-45 would accomplish

The bill would legalize the sale, use, possession, and limited cultivation of marijuana for adults 18 and older. Under the legislation, the government would create a regulatory system designed to reduce youth marijuana use and imposes taxes on retail sales, among other responsibilities.

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Photo courtesy of Christopher Policarpio.