Quebec to hold talks on legalizing marijuana

The Quebec government won’t say what a legal marijuana market might look like in the province until a series of public consultations are held this summer.

Social Services Minister Lucie Charlebois said Monday that the government will draft legislation this fall outlining how cannabis will be bought and sold in Quebec. But she wouldn’t speculate about the proposed bill until experts and the public weigh in.

“There’s no consensus or decisions yet, everything is on the table,” said Charlebois. “We’re waiting on the forum of experts, some of whom come from places where cannabis is already legal, before committing.”

The two-day experts forum begins June 19 and will likely include health professionals skeptical about the legalization process. On Monday, Quebec’s association of psychiatrists warned that an uptick in young people smoking cannabis could expose them to increased risks of mental health problems. They recommend that the minimum legal age for consuming marijuana should be 21.

“Cannabis is not a banal substance,” Charlebois said. “We invite (the psychiatrists) to testify at the expert forum. We want to hear from all perspectives.”

A series of public consultations on the matter will begin on Aug. 21 and last through Sept. 21. Charlebois said she wants the government to hold special consultations with First Nations groups in hopes of developing a policy regulating distribution on federal reserves in Quebec.

There have been hints, from the provincial government, about what a legal market might not look like. Last February, Finance Minister Carlos Leitão said cannabis won’t be sold in state-run liquor stores.

The provincial government has also raised concerns about Ottawa offloading too much of the responsibility to regulate the recreational cannabis industry. Beyond establishing the appropriate distribution channels, Quebec would be in charge of enforcing laws against impaired driving and shouldering any additional public health costs associated with a possible increase in marijuana use.

And the province must iron these details out before July 1, 2018, which is when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the legal market will open.

“People are going to buy marijuana in the legal market and if we’re not ready in Quebec, maybe they’ll go to Ontario to buy it,” said Charlebois. “So we have to be ready.”