From "a made in Canada approach," to "pass the dutchie" and joints from "the toaster oven," here are some memorable snippets and commentary of note on Bill C-45 to legalize marijuana, which received Royal Assent on June 21. The new law will come into force on Oct. 17, 2018.
"We have in Bill C-45 an extensive set of restrictions and proposed regulation on advertising and branding. These move extensively beyond anything that U.S. states have done, even when they started to catch up on this. We're out there on the leading edge in terms of our comparators. This is a made-in-Canada approach to cannabis reform 鈥� not a made-in-Colorado approach鈥� This approach represents extensive research and analysis." -- Senate sponsor, Independent Sen. Tony Dean in the Senate, June 1, 2018.
"We have already established that this legislation would put marijuana in the hands of children, not just with the 15 joints that 12-year-olds can have but with the four plants per household, so little Johnny can put some in the toaster oven and smoke it up鈥� Why does the minister not care about the safety of Canadians and Canadian children?" -- Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu in the House of Commons, June 6, 2017.
"The fact that we have a government that鈥檚 talking about legalization that hasn't immediately decriminalized possession is completely offensive, completely unacceptable. Right now there are people currently being charged, being convicted, and being imprisoned for an offense that will become legal. That's something the government should have done immediately." -- NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in the House of Commons foyer, Oct. 4, 2017.
"We will be prepared through training of our members to ensure that they know what that legislation is and how to react to the legislation. I think that like with any new legislation, there鈥檚 always that new bit where people are stumbling even with training, they鈥檒l stumble a little bit through it until we figure out how it plays out on the frontline and after that I think we鈥檙e good to go." -- RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki in an interview which aired on CTV News, May 27, 2018.
鈥淐anadians are allowed to make beer at home or wine and some Canadians grow tobacco. It鈥檚 already possible for Canadians to grow cannabis for medical purposes and we absolutely believe that the legislation should be consistent when it comes to recreational cannabis. With these amendments, we will have a solid and progressive bill that we鈥檒l be accepting and we certainly hope and recognize the hard work that the Senate has done when it comes to this study.鈥� -- Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor in the House foyer defending the government鈥檚 position on Senate amendments, June 13, 2018.
鈥淭he senators came to debate, and debate they did. What captured their curiosity was cannabis and should it be legalized instead of decriminalized... Every day brought a new dawn of ideas. Some were for and some were against, and every senator put up a great defence鈥� At the end of the day, they amended the bill. Some were accepted; some were rejected. But in the words of a song that some may understand, it is time to pass the bill, pass the dutchie to the left-hand side. Senators, if you don鈥檛 understand the last line, I will explain outside.鈥� -- Liberal Senator Jim Munson during the final day of Senate debate on Bill C-45, June 19, 2018.
鈥淐-45 marks a wholesale shift in how our country approaches cannabis. It leaves behind a failed model of prohibition, a model that has made organized crime rich and left our young people vulnerable. In its place we will have a new system that will give adults the opportunity to purchase and consume cannabis legally from authorized suppliers. Most importantly our shift in policy will protect youth from the health and safety risks of cannabis and keep those same criminals from profiting from its production, distribution and sale.鈥� -- Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould in the House of Commons foyer marking the legislation鈥檚 passage, June 20, 2018.
鈥淚 want to acknowledge the excellent work of our task force and the thousands of Canadians who have contributed to the national discussion on this important issue. We are indebted to our provincial and territorial counterparts, indigenous leaders, and municipalities for their hard work and partnership. We will continue to work with all levels of government, indigenous communities, and law enforcement to transition to a responsible legal framework that works for all Canadians.鈥� -- Parliamentary Secretary Bill Blair in the House of Commons during members鈥� statements, June 20, 2018.
"Parliament has now passed Bill C-45鈥� Today I鈥檓 also pleased to announce that the new recreational cannabis regime will officially come into force on Oct. 17 of this year. We heard from provinces and territories who told us they needed more time to transition to this new framework, so our government will continue to work in full partnership with them, to ensure the smooth and orderly implementation of this new law across Canada.鈥� -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in an end-of-session news conference, June 20, 2018.
鈥淲ith only weeks away to increased access to legal marijuana, the Government has not made a substantial effort to educate Canadians on the dangers of marijuana consumption, especially for children and youth. Nor has the Trudeau Government done mass education campaigns that are culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate for Indigenous peoples. Implications at the border also remain unclear. As a teacher, the Prime Minister should know that education doesn鈥檛 happen overnight.鈥� -- Leader of the Conservatives in the Senate Larry Smith in a press release, June 21, 2018.
