UPDATE ON THE CANNABIS ACT //
Cannabis (marijuana) has officially become legal in Canada.
Yesterday, C-45 passed in the Senate without 13 amendments that the Senate recommended. The Bill is headed toward Royal Assent. The Government has between 8 and 12 weeks before they can officially have marijuana for sale to give retail stores time to prepare. The government can choose the official date, but it is likely close to Labour Day 2018.
The main reason we are concerned about this legislation is that it makes recreational marijuana use legal for those 25 and under. Medical experts have repeatedly verified that the human brain is still developing at this time and that smoking marijuana can hinder brain development.
▪ Click here to read recent CTV report on the bill's passage.
Thank you to all of those that used your voice in this battle.
Let us be encouraged that in the fight for what is right, time is never wasted. It is always important to give things our best effort.
Let us also remember that nothing is irreversible, or, our out of our realm of influence at some level.
There are a few key things we can still do to help protect our young people.
CURRENT RECOMMENDED ACTION POINTS:
Now is not the time to get discouraged. Our provincial legisltaors have the power to regulate WHERE marijuana can be smoked, grown and HOW OLD someone has to be to smoke. The federal government set the overarching parameters but it is in the hands of the provinces to determine the details.
1) PROVINCIAL LEGISLATORS // Contact your MLA or MPP because the provinces have much work to do in regards to the regulation of marijuana within each province.
Here is the contact page for MLAs and MPP's. Note that the information will be added as it becomes available.
2) MUNICIPAL LEGISLATORS // Contact your city council asking for very strict city level regulations in regards to the location and sale of recreational marijuana.
3) WARN YOUNG PEOPLE & PARENTS // Each one of us has a voice and a sphere of influence with young people.
Please take time to lovingly and respectfully share with the young people in your sphere of influence that marijuana use can stunt their mental growth, for life. Please also remind parents with small children of the importance of protecting them for exposure to marijuana smoke - whether in their homes or in public spaces.
Please share this video that Faytene did with a testimony of a young man named Andrew sharing how marijuana use in high school impacted him.
