Yesterday, the famed Bill C-45 took another step forward in Canada’s Parliament by successfully completing its second reading in the debate process.
This legislation, which will usher in a whole new era of cannabis reform for Canadians, passed with a 200-76 vote. The bill will now be sent to Canada’s Standing Committee on Health (HESA), where subcommittee members from different parties will discuss the fine details of the legislation.
The second reading in the debate process took several days and was finally quelled when the Liberal government motioned for a time allocation, which put a limit on how long the bill could be debated.
The debate of the legislation along party lines has been highly predictable thus far. The Liberal majority spent most of its time defending the bill and stating that this legislation is the best path forward. The New Democrats (NDP) threw their support behind the bill, but have remained vocal on their desire to decriminalize pot now and end possession arrests.
The Conservatives continued with their default position that pot should not be legalized. It’s clear, however, that the Conservatives historic stubbornness towards marijuana has at least taken some steps forward, as they offered the suggestion of decriminalization for under 5 grams as well as personal cultivation allowances. In the past, under the Harper government, such suggestions would have been unheard of.
Liberal member of the House of Commons, John Oliver, counteracted the Conservative argument, stating that “decriminalizing marijuana, I believe, will lead to an explosion of use. It would do the exact opposite of what we are trying to do, which is not have young people use marijuana.”
The Trudeau government has been criticized throughout the process of legalization for various reasons. But while actually watching the legislation move forward, it’s hard not to admire the Liberals’ dedication to this campaign promise and the relative speed at which it’s being executed.
The bill now moves forward to the Standing Committee on Health, which is a group of over 100 Associate Members from all parties. They will study the legislation further and offer a report and suggestions.
credit:marijuana.com
