QUEBEC – The new federal government’s promise to legalize marijuana is raising concerns among Quebec’s political class.
Some cabinet ministers didn’t hide their discomfort when asked today about the prospect of legalized pot in the near future.
While it hasn’t rejected the idea outright, the Couillard government says it wants to see a detailed plan from the new Liberal government in Ottawa.
Public Security Minister Lise Theriault says questions of public safety are paramount and must prevail and that many parents share that same concern.
Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have promised to legalize cannabis by selling and taxing it much like alcohol, but haven’t said how quickly that might happen.
They argue legalization means the drug will be less accessible to minors and will snuff out the ability of criminal groups to profit from the pot trade.
But Parti Quebecois member Jean-Francois Lisee says legalization is long overdue, given that some U.S. states have already brought in the measure.
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