Canada’s federal cannabis legalization bill has passed the House of Commons 200-82 and now moves to the Senate for consideration, according to a report from the CBC. The support included leaders from the NDP, Green Party, and Conservative MP Scott Reid – despite an attempt by his party to send the measure to the Commons health committee for further study and delay.
The Conservative attempt to kick the bill to the committee failed 83-199.
The approved measure includes three amendments offered by the Commons committee studying legalization, including a 39-inch cap on home-grown plants, edible regulations one-year following the bill’s passage, and a stipulation that the government would review the bill in three years, according to the report.
Some Conservative Party members have argued that the July 1 timeline for rolling out the program is too ambitious, and some supported pushing the reforms back by one year.
Lawmakers in Alberta, Quebec, and New Brunswick have already released draft rules for how the industry will operate in their provinces, while Manitoba officials are preparing legislation focusing on public safety. Those regulations include the age consumers would be allowed to buy cannabis products, and whether the state or private companies would operate retail sites. Distribution duties outlined by the provinces would be relegated to provincial liquor wholesalers.
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