Public safety minister says Ottawa has no plan for blanket amnesty for past cannabis convictions
OTTAWA — The federal plan to legalize recreational marijuana does not include the general amnesty for past pot convictions some would like to see, says Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale.
Newly tabled legislation would allow people 18 and older to publicly possess up to 30 grams of dried cannabis, or its equivalent in non-dried form.
But the Trudeau government is not considering a blanket pardon for people with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug, Goodale said in an interview. “That’s not an item that’s on the agenda at the moment.”
The government has also made it clear the move to legalization by mid-2018 doesn’t mean lax law enforcement in the transition period.
“It is important to note that, as the bill moves through the legislative process, existing laws prohibiting possession and use of cannabis remain in place, and they need to be respected,” Goodale told a news conference last Thursday.
“This must be an orderly transition. It is not a free-for-all.”
The NDP has called on the government to immediately decriminalize simple possession, calling it a first step to prevent young people from being burdened with criminal records for the rest of their lives.
The C.D. Howe Institute, a prominent think-tank, has recommended the government consider pardoning people convicted of pot possession — and drop outstanding charges — to free up much-needed resources for legalization.
Legalization could initially result in an increase in consumption and a need for more police monitoring and enforcement, prompting more government spending, the institute said last year in a policy paper.
“This discussion suggests that dropping charges against individuals for illegal possession who have no other Criminal Code convictions or charges, would save considerable government resources without
other significant offsetting adverse spillovers,” it said.
“Similarly, the federal government should consider pardoning individuals who have been convicted for illegal possession but have not been convicted or charged for
any other Criminal Code offence.”
A pardon doesn’t erase a criminal record. But it can make it easier for someone to find work, travel and generally contribute to society.