Ever since Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott announced plans last week to table a bill to legalize marijuana, the Couillard government has been trying to figure out what Ottawa’s plans would mean for Quebec.
“We're carrying out our own work to anticipate this and we will do the appropriate analysis when we see the legislative project,” said Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux.
PQ Leader Pierre Karl Peladeau says he's in favour of decriminalizing marijuana. But when it comes to legalization, he’s less certain.
“I guess that it will be a little bit of a complicated matter. So we'll watch and see,” he said.
How and where it would be sold are key questions. Back in February, Finance Minister Carlos Leitao said Quebec had no intention of selling marijuana through the SAQ. He later backtracked, saying it's a complex issue, the debate was premature, and that there would need to be a dialogue with Ottawa.
“If it is legal, it would seem to me that it would then be the responsibility of the provinces who could either distribute it through government points of service like the SAQ, like liquor outlets, or they could actually privatize distribution and use certified retailers to sell,” said criminal lawyer Eric Sutton.
For Health Minister Gaetan Barrette, it's a public health issue.
“We'll have to address that and have an open and strong conversation with the federal government regarding all the rules and regulations that will have to be put in place,” he said.
CAQ Leader Francois Legault agrees with that sentiment.
“I want to make sure that it doesn't increase consumption,” he said.
The federal Liberals plan to introduce their marijuana legislation in the spring.
