On the day pot smokers gather annually to celebrate, the Liberals announced they will introduce their much-anticipated marijuana legislation in the spring of 2017.
However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused calls on Wednesday to decriminalize the drug while the legislation is being developed.
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair demanded in daily question period Wednesday to know whether the Liberals will prevent those caught with small amounts of pot from incurring criminal records while it remains illegal.
Trudeau responded that he believes in legalization 鈥渂ecause it protects our kids and keeps money out of the pockets of criminal organizations and street gangs,鈥� but suggested he is opposed to decriminalization.
鈥淭he fact of the matter is, decriminalization actually gives a legal stream of income to criminal organizations,鈥� Trudeau said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not what anyone wants in this country.鈥�
The stance puts the prime minister at odds with some in his own party, including Toronto MP Nathan Erskine-Smith, who studied decriminalization at Oxford University and has advocated for decriminalization, including at a in February.
Mulcair later told CTV鈥檚 Power Play that 鈥渢housands of people鈥� have received criminal records since the Liberals were elected due to small amounts of marijuana, and some of them may be young people who believe pot has already been decriminalized.
鈥淏y the time this thing gets done, tens of thousands of people will have criminal records,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd by the way, it鈥檚 not a good use of our police or our court system.鈥�
鈥淚f Mr. Trudeau truly believed that the best solution was continuing to keep it criminal, he should have had police arrest people on the hill here today,鈥� Mulcair added, referring to the 4-20 celebration on Parliament Hill. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a mixed signal that has been sent.鈥�
Health Minister Jane Philpott was at the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, when she announced the spring 2017 timeline.
Philpott told a special session on global drug policy that the Liberal government鈥檚 plan to legalize and regulate pot 鈥渃hallenges the status quo in many countries.鈥� But the government is convinced that it is the best way to 鈥減rotect our youth while enhancing public safety,鈥� she said.
"I am proud to stand up for our drug policy that is informed by solid scientific evidence and uses a lens of public health to maximize education and minimize harm."
Philpott, who was a family physician before she entered politics, said she has seen 鈥渢oo many people suffer the devastating consequences of drugs, drug-related crime and ill-conceived drug policy.鈥�
She said the new legislation will keep marijuana 鈥渙ut of the hands of children, and profits out of the hands of criminals.鈥�
Philpott made the announcement on April 20, or 4-20, an annual day of marijuana celebration around the world. Across Canada, pot smokers lit up at 4:20 p.m.
Raitt says 鈥榳e have to see it鈥�
Although the Conservatives under Stephen Harper opposed changing the law, MP Lisa Raitt told CTV鈥檚 Power Play Wednesday that her party 鈥渨ill look at what the legislation does.鈥�
鈥淲hat we will do as the opposition is bring up where we see weaknesses and put forth amendments where we see fit,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut we have to see it.鈥�
Raitt said she doesn鈥檛 believe the prime minister鈥檚 assertion that legalization will keep the drug out of the hands of children, adding, 鈥渉e鈥檚 going to have to live up to that promise and he鈥檚 going to need one heck of a piece of legislation for that to happen.鈥�
Raitt also said she has concerns about marijuana in the workplace and the dangers of driving while high.
NDP MP Nathan Cullen 鈥� who told Power Play he鈥檚 鈥渟till thinking鈥� about whether to run for his party鈥檚 leadership -- said he saw many teenagers using marijuana at the 4-20 celebration on Parliament Hill earlier in the day, 鈥渟o clearly the access is there.鈥�
鈥淣ow the question is, what are we doing with people now who are being criminally charged for small possession while the government works through a one or two year process on their legalizations?鈥� he added.
Liberal MP Marco Mendicino, who has worked as a criminal lawyer, said he has seen first-hand that the current system is 鈥渘ot working 鈥� for vulnerable communities, for minorities, for impoverished communities, and we can do better.鈥�
鈥淥ne of the ways we can do better is by tightly regulating and restricting access to these groups, and especially children,鈥� he said.
The Toronto MP said he was 鈥渆ncouraged to hear鈥� Raitt shares common goals, including 鈥渆nsuring we keep marijuana out of the hands of children, out of the hands of the vulnerable and also making sure we鈥檙e regulating it in a responsible way when it comes to drivers on the road.鈥�
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday, Conservative public safety critic Erin O鈥橳oole said the Liberals are making 鈥渁 bold promise鈥� on marijuana with no 鈥渞eal thought about international ramifications鈥� and concrete plans to sell and regulate pot.
鈥淲e鈥檇 like the government to start articulating how they鈥檙e going to do this, how they鈥檙e going to regulate it and how they鈥檙e going to ensure that young people aren鈥檛鈥xposed and able to procure (marijuana),鈥� he said.
With files from The Canadian Press and Sonja Puzic
