Will Trudeau Legalize?

Canada’s current Liberal government has promised repeatedly to legalize marijuana for recreational use. It is already permitted for medical use in Canada under Health Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations(ACMPR). Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plans to remove consumption and incidental possession of the drug from the Criminal Code and create a new system of marijuana sales and distribution. You can read the Liberal’s full platform relating to marijuana here.

Legislation to legalize marijuana is expected to be unveiled in the spring of 2017. A federal, provincial, and territorial task force of medical and legal experts has been assembled to make recommendations. Though not much is currently known about its conclusions, it did suggest that sales be limited to Canadians 18 years and older. (The legal drinking age in many provinces and territories is 19.)

Prime Minister Trudeau believes that the illegal sale of marijuana helps criminal organizations fund more nefarious crimes such as human trafficking and the distribution of harder drugs. By legalizing marijuana, he hopes to defund these organizations while providing the federal and provincial governments with tax revenue from marijuana sales. His motives for legalizing marijuana are not centered on recreational use.

“The promise we made around legalizing marijuana was done for two reasons … that I was very, very clear about: one, to better protect our kids from the easy access they have right now to marijuana; and, two, to remove the criminal elements that were profiting from marijuana,” Trudeau said.

While he wishes to remove legal consequences for drug users, Trudeau also plans to severely punish those who provide marijuana to minors, operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana, or attempt to sell the drug outside of the government’s regulations.

While new marijuana laws are said to be in the works, Prime Minister Trudeau has been adamant that current laws should still be enforced.

“Until we’ve changed the law, the current laws exist and apply,” he said.

Despite this stance, illegal pot boutiques have been popping up in major cities across Canada. Medical marijuana can only currently be delivered by mail from licensed producers or home grown by patients in small amounts. All storefront dispensaries are illegal under existing laws, but many entrepreneurs consider the risk of fines and raids worthwhile in order to stake their claim in a soon-to-be rapidly growing recreational marijuana market.

Trudeau has faced pressure to decriminalize the drug while awaiting new legislation so that Canadians will not be given criminal records for casual marijuana use—an activity that will soon be legal. However, the Prime Minister has been adamant that his main interest is in defunding criminals, not pleasing drug users.  Ironically, Trudeau has admitted to smoking marijuana himself while he was a member of parliament.

Some people question whether Trudeau will follow through on his promise, given his change of heart on other issues. The Liberal government recently announced that it would not be pursuing electoral reform, less than a year after Trudeau called it a “priority.”