Canada unveils its task force to prepare for legalization

While in France, Marisol Touraine reaffirms her opposition to opening a debate, Canada is calmly moving forward with its legalization process. It has recently unveiled the «task force» Who will be responsible for studying the regulation of recreational cannabis upstream of the legalization that is expected to be proposed to Parliament in the fall of 2017.

This team is comprised of public health, harm reduction, justice, and law enforcement experts. It will be led by Anne McLellan, former Liberal minister and Deputy Prime Minister, and will have the primary mission of crafting the system that will regulate the production, distribution, and sale of cannabis in Canada.

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould took the opportunity to remind everyone that cannabis remains illegal until the new law is in place. This was likely a reference to numerous dispensaries already anticipating legalization cannabis.

For the next 4 months, the task force it will consult with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments, as well as experts in youth, crime, economics, or industry. It will also engage with businesses experienced in the sale, production, and distribution of medical cannabis, and with businesses from Colorado or Washington State that already have experience with recreational cannabis.

McLellan confided that she was «delighted» to have been chosen for this case. «Given my previous experiences, I fully appreciate the complexity of the task. I know this is a topic of interest for many Canadians and for various reasons.».

Canadians will be invited to participate in the conversation via an online consultation platform.

«The members of the task force and I look forward to embracing the challenge before us,» said McLellan, adding that his group is more concerned with the best way to legalize cannabis, rather than questioning whether legalization is truly necessary.

The legalizing cannabis in Canada was one of Justin Trudeau's campaign promises.