On Monday, Canada celebrated four years since the Cannabis Act became enacted and placed a legal framework for regulating pot for adult use.
Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos and the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Carolyn Bennett released a statement emphasizing how the act was enacted to help keep cannabis out of the hands of youth and ensure quality for adults while reducing the scale of the illicit market.
“The Cannabis Act has two important and critical objectives: first, it protects the health and safety of Canadians while serving as a flexible legislative framework that adapts and responds to the ongoing and emerging needs of Canadians; second, it provides for the establishment of a diverse and competitive legal industry made up of small and large players to displace the illicit market,” read a statement signed by both Ministers.
According to the 2021 Canadian Cannabis Survey, 53 per cent of Canadians reported a legal retailer as their preferred source for accessing cannabis which is an increase of 12 per cent from 41 per cent in 2020.
The statement also said that public education continues to play an important role in protecting Canadians.
“We will continue to equip Canadians with trusted information about how to identify legal cannabis and lower their risk if they choose to consume.”
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The government recently launched an independent review of the legislation to find areas of improvement. The review will be led by a panel of experts in the industry chaired by Morris Rosenberg who has vast experience working in the government and is currently the president and CEO of the Trudeau Foundation. It also asks for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples input.
The first step in the review involves an online survey open to all Canadians which ends on Nov. 21 this year.
