Couillard satisfied with the postponement of the legalization of marijuana

Photo Simon Clark
To avoid “anarchy”, the Québec shall establish, before the summer, of his own law on the legalization of cannabis, and, even if Ottawa has decided to push back his timetable, warns Philippe Couillard.

Marc-André Gagnon

Friday, 16 February 2018 16:53

UPDATE
Friday, 16 February 2018 17:03

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SAINT-LAMBERT-DE-LAUZON | To avoid “anarchy”, the Québec shall establish, before the summer, of his own law on the legalization of cannabis, and, even if Ottawa has decided to push back his timetable, warns Philippe Couillard.

At the end of a tour of two days in Chaudière-Appalaches, the premier of Quebec, welcomed the postponement of the date of the legalization of marijuana, which had been first set by the Trudeau government in 1 July 2018.

If still no new date has been announced, the agreement between the federal government and the Senate will have the effect of pushing the first legal sales of cannabis until at least August.

“It gives us more time for [us] to prepare,” responded Mr. Couillard. He considers in particular the police, who will have more time to be trained.

The liberal leader holds all the same that the quebec legislation surrounding the legalization of cannabis to be passed by the end of the parliamentary session. Especially with the upcoming general elections on 1st October next.

“This is what we need to do. It would be unfortunate to leave the Assembly [the state] without having adopted, said Mr. Couillard. […] It is still necessary to adopt the bill because, with an election in October, it is really necessary that we be ready, on paper, at a time when the federal law will enter into force.”

Open “the door to anarchy”

If you had the Quebec defers the adoption of its own legislation, it would open “the door to anarchy, literally,” said the prime minister.

“If there is no quebec act, that is-what will happen? You are going to receive the product from across Canada, with the federal legislation, then we will not have the possibility, in the Quebec act, is concerned, Mr. Couillard. It is necessary that this bill is well made and adopted.”

In this chapter, the prime minister said, for the moment, it has not received any signal obstruction” on the part of the opposition parties in the national Assembly.

“I still have confidence in the sense of responsibility of my colleagues. […] We must act in the public interest,” said Mr. Couillard.