Cannabis Act

Proposed federal legislation:

On April 13, 2017, the Government of Canada introduced legislation to legalize, regulate and restrict access to cannabis – bills C-45 Cannabis Act and C-46 An Act to amend the Criminal Code. This legislation is expected to come into effect by July 2018. See also the plain language overview of Bill C-45.

Cannabis is currently an illegal substance (with the exception of authorized medical use) under the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The federal legislation would:

• Allow adults to possess up to 30 grams of legally-produced cannabis
• Allow adults to grow up to four cannabis plants per household
• Set the minimum age for purchase and use at 18 years of age, with the option for provinces to increase the age limit
• Enable a regulatory regime for the licensed production of cannabis, which would be controlled by the federal government
• Enable a regulatory regime for the distribution and sale of cannabis, which would be controlled by the provincial government
• Establish new provisions to address drug-impaired driving, as well as making several changes to the overall legal framework to address alcohol impaired driving

Alberta’s approach:

The Government of Alberta has an obligation and an opportunity to actively shape how the province will adapt to cannabis legalization in a way that best suits Albertans’ needs, circumstances and values.

Our focus is on:

• Limiting the illegal market for cannabis
• Keeping cannabis out of the hands of children and youth
• Protecting public health
• Protecting safety on roads, in workplaces and in public space

To do this, government will continue to assess the implications of legalization, engage with a wide range of Albertans to hear their views and determine their needs, and respond in a way that makes the most sense for the province.

This will include:

• Developing a made-in-Alberta policy approach to address provincial aspects of legalization the Alberta Cannabis Framework.
• Advocating to the federal government on behalf of Albertans on issues of concern or uncertainty.
• Working with provincial and territorial colleagues to develop common approaches (where feasible) to issues where it makes sense to have consistency across the country.
• Supporting municipal and indigenous governments with the tools and information they need to decide issues within their jurisdiction in accordance with local needs.

Role of provinces:

While legalization is a federal decision, provinces and municipalities have been given areas of responsibility.

Table 1: Jurisdictional responsibilities

** Provinces will have the ability to strengthen legislation for these areas under federal jurisdiction

Social and Health Care Costs:

The harms of alcohol and tobacco are well established. According to the Chief Public Health Officer’s Report on the State of Public Health in Canada (2015), almost 80 percent of Canadians consume alcohol; in 2013, more than 7.4 million Canadians drank enough to be at risk for immediate injury and harm or for chronic health effects, such as liver cirrhosis and cancer. Tobacco-related illness is responsible for 37,000 deaths in Canada each year and results in $4.4 billion of direct health-care costs.

Youth Criminal Justice Act Amendments

184?The schedule to the Youth Criminal Justice Act is amended by adding the following after item 4:

5?An offence under any of the following provisions of the Cannabis Act:

(a)?section 9 (distribution and possession for purpose of distributing);

(b)?section 10 (selling and possession for purpose of selling);

(c)?section 11 (importing and exporting and possession for purpose of exporting);

(d)?section 12 (production); and

(e)?section 14 (use of young person).

Equivalent Amounts

Information

http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/marijuana-legalization-bill-canada

http://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/bill/C-45/first-reading

http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/task-force-marijuana-groupe-etude/framework-cadre/index-eng.php