In an interview with Quebec, Canada’s TVA network, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was no firm date for cannabis legalization in the nation, but that the reforms would take place “next summer,” according to the Canadian Press, who received advance transcripts of the interview which will air tonight.
“The date will not be July 1, I can assure you of that. I don’t know where that date came from.” – PM Trudeau
Where did that date come from? When the plan was unveiled last April, there was no firm date attached to the proposal. Later that month, Health Minister Jane Philpott told the U.N. General Assembly that legalization was expected in spring of 2017. Of the provinces that have announced regulations, all include the July 1 deadline. In July, Canadian premiers urged federal lawmakers to extend the July 1 deadline and, at that time, Quebec Premier Phillipe Couillard indicated that Trudeau was “very firm” on the deadline.
The comments come 10 days after Conservative Sen. Claude Carnigan suggested the regime could be pushed back to the end of 2018. Carnigan argued that the legislation package doe not address issues such as training and equipment for law enforcement, drug testing for employees, the impact of legalization on youth, and provincial tax implications.