In September the CBA Criminal Justice Section made a submission to the House of Commons Health Committee, commenting on Bill C-45 – Cannabis Act. The Bill proposes comprehensive legislation that would combine a regulatory framework for cannabis possession, production and distribution with provisions for public safety and product quality.
The Section supports the bill’s efforts to legalize cannabis but raises concern that its limited approach to ‘legalization’ would continue to rely heavily on the criminal law for conduct falling outside the ticketing scheme. The Section also supports the decision to handle cannabis offences by young people through the Youth Criminal Justice Act, rather than the Criminal Code.
However, the Section also raises concerns about the consultation process, contending that it did not facilitate full participation of key stakeholders by limiting the length of submissions to five pages or less and only accepting written submissions from those appearing on one of the four days of hearings.
Read the submission