Conservative Canadian senators could prevent the nation’s legalization proposal from becoming law by the July deadline, the Globe and Mail reports. Sen. Claude Carignan suggests the bill’s passage could be pushed back to the end of 2018.
“I think we have to do our job properly, and that means months. … The House took eight months to study [the bills]. It will probably take the same timeline to do our job properly. – Sen. Carignan
Lawmakers are expected to begin debating both the legalization measure and bills for cannabis-impaired driving at the end of January; however, Carignan argues that the legislation package does not address issues such as equipment and training for police, drug tests for employees, tax implications on provinces, and the impact of legalization on youth. The federal government has earmarked $9.6 million from this year’s budget on a public health campaign about legalization aimed at minors 13 to 17-years-old and young adults 18 to 24.
According to the report, the Senate could implement a strict timeline on debate, testimony; and independent senators could build a coalition to set and enforce a deadline for the bills in order to prevent Conservative delays. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has 11 Senate vacancies he could fill in an effort to build such a coalition.