Approved by the federal government in April 2017, Canada is set to legalize the adult use and possession of cannabis nationwide on July 1, 2018.
However, earlier this year, premiers from several provinces called for a delay in implementing the historic change due to health and traffic safety concerns — and to avoid inconsistencies in the law across Canada.
Now, some in Quebec — whose premier had previously agreed with the July 2018 rollout — have called for a one year delay in the switch-over to recreational cannabis.
Quebec is set to unveil their long waited cannabis regulations Thursday, November 16th. Here are some details of the province’s regulatory plan: the consumption age will be 19, the Government will handle the sale and distribution of cannabis, and there will be no home grows allowed.
Even before the bill is introduced, Quebec’s main opposition party, Coalition Avenir, with support from the Liberals have introduced a motion to delay the roll-out by one year.
On Tuesday, Quebec’s Minister for Rehabilitation, Youth Protection, Public Health and Healthy Living Lucie Charlebois expressed previous concerns that the central government was forcing the provinces to move too fast and that the essential question of who would be paying for adult-use cannabis implementation still had not been answered.
Earlier this year, speaking of the impending roll-out, Charlebois told the CBC that, “We have to prepare ourselves to better face the issues that we consider to be priorities, notably those concerning health and security for all.”
Charlebois said there is little likelihood the delay will be granted, but that an extra year might be helpful. Quebec citizens share her concerns with Polls showing they are more skeptical of recreational cannabis than others in Canada. Their main concern is more accidents on the road.