UPDATE ON THE CANNABIS ACT //
C-45 passed in the Senate with 46 recommended amendments sent back to the House of Commons this week. The House of Commons has accepted 26 of those recommendations, rejecting a few key amendments.
They have not agreed to ban "paraphernalia" with marijuana company's logos from being sold. This was suggested to keep from advertising to youth.
They rejected provinces having authority to ban home growing.
They rejected a public registry of investors.
CTV NEWS: Click here to read a summary of the accepted and rejected amendments.
The House of Commons is expected to vote soon on the amended bill and send the bill back to the Senate for further discussion. It is reported that PM Trudeau is has been putting pressure on the Senate for them to pass it swiftly. That being said, the Senate could reject what the House has done to the bill. This means there is still time to act and pray (please do both).
So far the date for legalization is likely close to Labour Day 2018.
Please click here to watch the recent interview Faytene did with Dr. Harold Kalant from the U of T on this issue.
If the bill passes to law at the federal level it will then be in the hands of the provinces to regulate it. Our provincial legislators will have the power to determine the legal age of possession, penalties for use by minors, where it can be consumed (public or private).
CURRENT RECOMMENDED ACTION POINTS:
We have seen time and time again that when we all do a little that together we can accomplish a lot! Please take a moment to do one or more of these critical action points at this point C-45's timeline.
1) CONTACT SENATORS // asking for amendments to be held up.
Click here for a full list of Senator e-mails.
Please click here to find your provincial Senators.
Please also copy the following people in your e-mail:
▪ Senator Betty Unger: [betty.unger@sen.parl.gc.ca]
2) PROVINCIAL LEGISLATORS // Contact your MPP or MLA to ask them to regulate marijuana with caution should it pass to law by the Parliament of Canada.
3) MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT // Contact your Member of Parliament to ask them to vote for the Senate amendments.
Please click here to find your MP by postal code.
4) PRAY AND SHARE // Please join us in praying that many MPs and Senators would disagree with the minimum recommended age and that this age would be increased to the suggested 25 years. Please pray against addiction affecting so many Canadians and especially our youth. Let’s pray for a spirit of revival that would bring real freedom to all those in bondage to addiction to mind-altering substances.
MAIN CONCERNS ABOUT Bill C-45 THAT YOU CAN INCLUDE IN YOUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR LEADERS:
▪ The bill's recommended minimum age of use of 18 years whereas experts have suggested the minimum age of 25.
▪ The purpose of the bill is supposedly to protect young people from Cannabis, but Bill C-45 includes a clause stating youth ages 12 to 18 will be able to posses up to five grams of marijuana before being criminally charged.
▪ Bill C-45 would allow up to 4 plants to be grown in each home.
▪ Police forces across Canada have indicated they will be unprepared for legalization by summer 2018.
▪ Legalized marijuana gives young Canadians the message that recreational drug use is permitted and acceptable.
▪ In states that have legalized marijuana, use among youth went up significantly as did impaired driving cases.
