New Regime For Marijuana Will Impact Canadian Schools

On April 13, 2017, the federal government introduced legislation, Bill C-45, which will provide legal access to marijuana¹ and control and regulate its production, distribution and sale. Currently, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act makes it a criminal offence to produce, buy, sell, possess or traffic in cannabis, except where access to cannabis is permitted for medical purposes. Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, would create new rules for the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis in Canada. If passed, Bill C-45 will come into force no later than July 1, 2018. Until then, all laws respecting cannabis remain in effect. Also introduced on April 13, 2017 was Bill C-46, an act that would amend the Criminal Code to include new provisions that address drug-impaired driving.