Opposition Motion—Decriminalization of Marijuana Possession - Elizabeth May
Channel: Sam Vekemans
Date: 19/06/2016

Opposition Motion—Decriminalization of Marijuana Possession - Elizabeth May

Description
Sitting No. 71 House of Commons
Location
Centre Block - Chamber
Scheduled
Monday, Jun 13, 2016
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
8 Hours
Actual
Monday, Jun 13, 2016
11:04 AM - 7:16 PM
8 Hours 12 Minutes

Downloaded clip From
http://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/XRender/

Opposition Motion — Decriminalization of Marijuana Possession
Business of Supply
Government Orders
5:15 p.m.
Green
Elizabeth May Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am struck by one thing. The motion before us today has an incredibly strong rationale, which is that people should not have criminal records for the possession of a substance that the government in power has run a campaign on, saying that it will legalize it.

The Green Party wants to legalize it. We understand that the prohibition on cannabis serves one major beneficiary and purpose, and that is organized crime.

I did not get a chance to put this question to the Minister of Justice earlier, although I tried to get a question in. Would it not make sense for the Liberal government to commit early that the criminal records of people who carry a criminal record for simple possession, not for participating in organized crime, of cannabis, whenever that crime occurred, would have their records expunged once a legal framework is in place for legalization of cannabis?
https://openparliament.ca/debates/2016/6/13/elizabeth-may-3/

Official Transcript from Parliament of Canada Website
http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Pub=Journals&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=42&Ses=1&DocId=8358706&File=0#Int-8992014


"7. For those convicted for a cannabis offence under the CDSA, on a case-by-case basis: Grant a full pardon and amnesty for past offences, expunge criminal records and release all prisoners currently serving time; and"
This was what was asked for with the e-18 cannabis petition.
https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-18