Canada Senate to Hold Televised Hearing on Marijuana Legalization
Canada’s Senate will be holding a hearing soon to discuss the nation’s effort to legalize marijuana. The hearing will be televised, a rarity for the Senate.
According to CTV, Senate leadership has announced that they will soon be holding a televised hearing where they will question Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, and justice and health parliamentary secretary Bill Blair. The questions will be regaring C-45, a bill to legalize marijuana that recently passed the nation’s House of Commons. The measure would allow those 18 and older to posses and use marijuana, and would establish a system of licensed marijuana stores.
“This is an attempt to ensure that on an issue of such importance to the Senate, we hear from ministers early”, said Government Representative in the Senate, Senator Peter Harder. “It is also an opportunity for Canadians to see the Senate in action on such an important bill”.
C-45 is currently under debate in its second reading in the Senate. If approved by the Senate, as is expected, it will be sent to the Governor General for Royal Assent (final approval). Proponents of the bill hope to have it passed into law by July.
Mark Bezanson
Dear Friends,
We are very concerned that the legalization of marijuana has way to few limits except to protect youth from getting involved. We are talking about an addictive substance that will increase dependency and decrease overall health including mental health. We are having problems getting a neighbor to restrain their drifting smoke in the hallways and through the ceiling ways of our condo. They certainly have a right to smoke in their apartment, but they do not have a right to inflict declining health on my wife who has asthma. Smokers need to be given boundaries in shared condos just as they are at work or in other public settings. I am hearing that in law enforcement and in work settings the boundaries are still quite vague. I also understand several countries in Europe are reversing their legalization and Colorado would also like to reconsider. We need to check these realities out before rushing forwards
Mark Bezanson
Do you only publish comments that agree with your position. How is that democracy and freedom of the press
Jacobs
Hey Bezanson… 1970 called and wants it ignorant, backward thinking back.
Mark Bezanson
Human Rights has been developing in the last 50 years, and I believe by Provincial Law a resident is not allowed to do things that will damage the health or enjoyment of their neighbor. The marijuana smoke is damaging my wife’s health. We have been hit and nearly killed by an impaired driver. Impaired driving with alcohol accounts for 25 percent of car accidents and impaired driving from drugs accounts for 40 percent of car accidents. In a major study across several countries legalization increases consumption in youth. The Liberal government is talking about public education instead of funding addiction counseling. I worked with a Youth Drop In for four years and we saw the damage and the addiction that smoking pot brought to many of our hurting youth who were self medicating some of their New Canadian transition issues. I am waiting to get ahold of the details where several countries in Europe have recently reversed their laws on the legalization and consumption of pot. This is not just a trendy new toy, this is a serious threat to health, to addiction, to damaging relationships, and also to the human rights of youth, young adults, and others who suffer under the constant consumption of this damaging drug.