Quebec boosts age for smoking pot to 21

QUEBEC • The Quebec government has passed the most restrictive cannabis law in the country, voting to ban the consumption of marijuana in most public areas and to raise the legal age from 18 to 21 years.

Beginning Saturday, Quebecers will be prohibited from consuming marijuana in public.

But the law permits cities to adopt their own bylaws allowing people to smoke cannabis in specific public areas where no children are present.

As of Jan. 1, Quebecers under 21 years old will no longer be allowed to legally consume marijuana.

The previous Liberal government had set the legal age at 18.

The National Assembly Tuesday voted 64 to 43 to tighten the rules, with the three opposition parties — Liberal, Québec solidaire and Parti Québécois — all voting against the legislation.

The section of the law setting the legal age comes into effect in 60 days because the government wants to give consumers and state-run cannabis stores time to adjust, Junior Health Minister Lionel Carmant told reporters.

“We decided to allow a buffer so people who are used to going to the SQDC (Société québécoise du cannabis) stores can adapt to the change of regulations,” Carmant said.

He defended the decision to increase the legal age, saying it’s a matter of public health and keeping cannabis out of the hands of youth.

Carmant noted polls indicate 70 per cent of Quebecers favour increasing the legal age to 21.

“We want to send a clear message that we want to protect the most vulnerable people from the effects of these toxic products,” he said.

Reaction to adoption of the bill was swift, with the Quebec Cannabis Industry Association releasing a statement saying increasing the legal age “will steer the most vulnerable consumers towards the black market.”

Québec solidaire co-spokesman Gabriel Nadeau-dubois described the law as “useless,” and paternalistic.

“All this law will do is drive youth into the arms of organized crime,” Nadeau-dubois told reporters.

The ban on cannabis consumption in public spaces such as parks and on sidewalks, kicks in next Saturday when the bill receives the sanction of the lieutenant-governor.

Municipalities, however, will be allowed to authorize the consumption of cannabis in certain public areas where there are no children present.

The exception followed criticism from Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who complained that banning consumption in all public spaces would hurt a city like Montreal because of the high number of renters and they are not allowed to consume at home because their leases forbid it.