Close X
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
ADVT 
National

Federal marijuana legislation approved by Commons, moves on to Senate

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Nov, 2017 10:30 AM
  • Federal marijuana legislation approved by Commons, moves on to Senate

The federal government's plan to legalize marijuana by next summer is a step closer.

Bill C-45 received final approval Monday in the House of Commons, passing by a vote of 200-82.

It now moves to the Senate, where Conservative senators are threatening to hold up passage of the bill.

That could yet derail the government's plan to have a legalized pot regime up and running by July.

Some provinces have complained they can't be ready to implement and enforce the legislation so quickly.

But a Conservative bid to force a delay in its implementation went down to defeat Monday, by a vote of 199-83.

Prior to the vote, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said Commons approval of Bill C-45 marks an "important milestone" in the government's plans to keep pot profits out of the hands of organized crime and marijuana out of the hands of kids.

She also said she looks forward to further debate in the Senate.

The federal NDP supports the government's legislation, which was amended to scrap a requirement that home-grown marijuana plants be less than 100 centimetres tall and to require that legislation for cannabis edibles and concentrates be brought forward within a year.

The Conservatives have been pushing for the Liberal government to reconsider its arbitrary timeline for implementing marijuana legalization, arguing it would be more responsible to consider a July 2019 deadline instead of July 2018.

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. woman files lawsuit against Canadian government over terrorist label

A B.C. Supreme Court lawsuit accuses the federal government of maliciously supplying false information about terrorist-related activity to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation in order to secure lucrative military contracts for Canada's defence industry.

B.C. woman files lawsuit against Canadian government over terrorist label

'Dirty Chinese Restaurant' game denounced as racist by U.S., Ont. politicians

'Dirty Chinese Restaurant' game denounced as racist by U.S., Ont. politicians
A Toronto-area company's upcoming video game called "Dirty Chinese Restaurant" is being denounced as racist, but the business says its product is meant as satire.

'Dirty Chinese Restaurant' game denounced as racist by U.S., Ont. politicians

B.C. municipalities want campaign finance reform ahead of 2018 local elections

B.C. municipalities want campaign finance reform ahead of 2018 local elections
Municipalities in British Columbia want the provincial government to restrict the role of money in local politics in time for next year's elections.

B.C. municipalities want campaign finance reform ahead of 2018 local elections

Stop the presses? Newspapers snubbed in Liberal government's cultural policy

Stop the presses? Newspapers snubbed in Liberal government's cultural policy
The chair of News Media Canada says the country's struggling newspaper industry is "on its own" thanks to a federal cultural strategy that all but snubs so-called legacy media.

Stop the presses? Newspapers snubbed in Liberal government's cultural policy

Expert on money laundering appointed to review practices in B.C. casinos

Expert on money laundering appointed to review practices in B.C. casinos
An independent expert has been appointed by the B.C. government to conduct a review of the province's policies and practices to prevent money laundering in the gambling industry.

Expert on money laundering appointed to review practices in B.C. casinos

Police probe double homicide after couple found dead in south Vancouver home

Police probe double homicide after couple found dead in south Vancouver home
Vancouver police say they are investigating a double homicide after the bodies of a man and a woman in their 60s were found in a home on Wednesday.

Police probe double homicide after couple found dead in south Vancouver home