Marijuana Legalization May Come Later Than The Original July Date
And The Odds Aren't In Our Favour
Federal officials are starting to think that the legalization of marijuana will actually begin two to three months after the Bill (C-45) is approved by Parliament. Due to this new finding, Bill C-45 will need to be passed by May 1, at the latest, to make the original deadline of July 1 still work. However, it’s seen as highly unlikely based on the what’s happening in the Senate’s office.
Even if things were to be running smoothly after today, government officials say there may still be date changes. This is counting the days it will take for the C-45 to pass, trying to enforce the new regulations, and making sure the cannabis industry is ready to agree with all the requirements.
Although this waiting game may make people annoyed, independent Senator André Pratte said getting the legislation right is way more important than a set deadline. “The deadline is a political deadline. It’s not a court that imposed that deadline. It’s the government that set that deadline. We have to take it into account but we also have to do our job seriously and that’s what we’ll do,” Pratte said.
More information about the delay is set to be set to be announced later today. The federal ministers of Health, Justice and Public Safety are going in front of the Senate to re-state their reasoning for wanting to lift the ban. Fingers crossed!
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
