The Liberal government is planning to introduce legalization legislation this Thursday, Cannabis Life Network has confirmed.
The legislation is expected to detail how the federal government will regulate and control cannabis.
A government task force studied the issue last year, recommending various regulations from federally licensing commercial growers to permitting four-plants-per-person. It recommended provincial control over cannabis sales and age requirements while suggesting advertising restrictions similar to that of tobacco.
The task force also recommended no prison for “social sharing,” however, those “outside of the new legal framework should continue to be prosecuted through criminal law.” Focusing on “illicit activities for commercial gain,” cannabis capitalism sans state regulation may still constitute a criminal offense.
Those advocating for immediate decriminalization continue to make their voices heard. But Bill Blair, the Liberal MP in charge of the pot file, as well as Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have all emphasized that until the law is changed, prohibition remains enforceable and justified.
In many jurisdictions across the country, police have raided cannabis dispensaries and charged the entrepreneurs and employees with trafficking.
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has been critical of the home-growing recommendation, calling it counter-productive to the intended goal of keeping cannabis out of the hands of children and organized crime.