Opposition parties grill government over plans to legalize cannabis by July 2018
OTTAWA — Three Liberal cabinet ministers came under fire Tuesday by opposition parties concerned about sweeping implications of federal pot plans set to take effect next summer.
Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor testified at a Commons committee Tuesday night on the government’s proposed cannabis bill.
They were met by a series of questions, including concerns raised by police on the government’s July 2018 timeline to establish a legalized regime for recreational cannabis.
Last week, officials from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Ontario Provincial Police and the Saskatoon Police Service testified to the same committee they require more time to properly train officers about the new laws and more than double the number of police officers who are certified to conduct roadside drug impaired driving testing.