The federal government of Canada is making moves toward the national legalization of recreational cannabis.
In an interview with CBC News’s Stephen Quinn, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale said that officials are working toward legislation that will “ultimately involve the legalization of marijuana, trying to take the whole profit element out of the hands of organized crime.”
“The present regime with respect to marijuana has obviously failed and failed miserably,” he said.
According to Goodale, the government’s first step is establishing a task force of federal, provincial, and local government representatives to address the issue. “Municipalities and provinces want to be involved in how this is structured and how this is done,” said Goodale. “They want it done right and they want to be engaged in doing it right. That task force involving the provinces and municipalities will be announced very shortly. We’ll have a detailed announcement coming in the next several weeks.”
Canadian research analyst Noel Atkinson of Claurus Securities predicted in a recent email that this news may ultimately benefit the country’s licensed medical marijuana producers, asserting that “the licensed producers are positioned to be the primary wholesale suppliers to a government-regulated retail network for recreational marijuana.”
Marijuana legalization was a main feature of the Liberal Party’s successful campaign. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has recommitted the party to legalization since the election; in January, however, he also warned that there remain several international barriers blocking full legalization in Canada.