Marijuana can only go on sale in Canada months after law passed -minister

East Side Games

06/02/2018 21:45

OTTAWA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Recreational marijuana in Canada 
will only go on sale a few months after it is legalized later 
this year because the new retail system needs time to start 
working properly, Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said 
on Tuesday. 
    The Liberal government says the new law must be in place by 
July 1 this year, which would make Canada the first Group of 
Seven country to adopt such a policy. 
    Some of Canada's 10 provinces, which are responsible for 
actually selling marijuana, complain they do not have enough 
time. 
    "They told us they need eight to 12 weeks following 
(adoption of the law) for preparatory activities to occur, such 
as preparatory movement of product from licensed producers to 
distribution and retail outlets," Petitpas Taylor told the 
Senate upper chamber. 
    The Liberals say legalization is needed to keep the drug out 
of the hands of underage users and reduce related crime. 
    "The current regime has not worked," Public Safety Minister 
Ralph Goodale told the Senate during a question and answer 
session on the proposed law. 
    As well as complaining about what they see as an excessively 
ambitious timetable, the provinces also say they need federal 
money to meet the extra costs of enforcing the new rules. 
    Ottawa, the provinces and Canada's three sparsely populated 
northern territories settled a disagreement last December on how 
to split the revenues from a proposed federal tax on marijuana 
sales.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1OB1TM 
    Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould dismissed concerns 
that more time was needed. 
    "I would submit that the opposite is true. Provinces and 
territories have in fact been working expeditiously," she told 
the Senate.  
 
 (Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Grant McCool) 
 ((david.ljunggren@thomsonreuters.com; +1 613 235 6745; fax +1 
613 235 5890; Reuters Messaging: 
david.ljunggren.reuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: CANADA CANNABIS/