Legalization of cannabis: Quebec will introduce an amendment to block tax havens

Patrick Bellerose

Friday, February 23, 2018 00:00

UPDATE
Friday, February 23, 2018 00:00

Look at this article

After weeks of hesitation, the government Couillard is preparing to file an amendment to its draft law on the supervision of the cannabis in order to block the presence of tax havens among its suppliers.

The minister responsible for the file, Lucie Charlebois, the announcement was made by the parliamentary commission on bill 157, Thursday.

Last January, The Newspaper revealed that 35 of the 86 producers of marijuana authorized by Health Canada have received funding offshore in the past two years.

The amendment, which will be filed with the return of the hard parliamentary, will the public procurement Authority (MPA) to investigate the suppliers of the future in quebec Society in the cannabis of Quebec (SQDC).

“The contract may be revoked, Mr. speaker, if the AMP did an audit of the company and that the criteria do not respond to what we want, explained the minister delegate to the public Health. In short, if there is money laundering or any other provisions… we don’t want the organized crime enters through the back door, as he does in the face at this time. “

Probity

“This is why I tell you that we will change things, but we can’t do it in this section here, said Lucie Charlebois, in reference to the bill currently in the process of the study, article by article. And there, we are working on it, to find the right wording, and it’s certainly going to be the powers of the Authority. We will certainly be able to keep a record of how the minister is going to give his directive to the SQDC and to the AMP. “

The AMP will have to check the probity of the provider ” throughout this agreement “, stressed the minister. “Because the situation may change, a year after the contract is in the works,” said Lucie Charlebois.

“What if, perchance, they find things, ben there will be a cause of breach of contract “, she added.

Millions $

According to the Bureau of investigation of the Journal, the anonymous investors from tax havens have invested at least $ 165 million in marijuana providers are allowed in Canada.

Two major players in Quebec, Hydropothecary and Aurora Cannabis in particular have received of $ million from these investors to the unknown origin.