With the framework for legalizing the recreational use of cannabis moving through the legislature, the provincial government must legislate how it will be distributed.
Bill 31 creates the distribution rules for recreational cannabis. Leveraging the well-established liquor distribution system, the province, will at least initially, centralize distribution in the early days of the industry.
It is likely this legislation will be amended as time passes and the need arises to work out the kinks in the system, but this is a good start with so many unknowns as we await the federal government to pass their legislation.
[Transcript]
It’s my pleasure to stand today and speak to Bill 31, the Cannabis Distribution Act. This, of course, is the second piece to the work of the Solicitor General and the minister responsible for public safety with respect to legalizing cannabis. It is a decision that the federal government has made and that now the provincial governments are responsible for developing the framework for that to exist, for the recreational consumption of cannabis in our society. I had an opportunity to speak at length, much deeper, on Bill 30 than I will here on Bill 31.
I look at the structure that’s being created here, and I think we recognize it to be a very familiar structure, because it, in fact, mirrors and will be controlled by the Liquor Distribution Branch. So this is a situation that we’re very familiar with here in this province. We’re having a centralized distribution model, and I think that it’s a good place to start, frankly.
When you take a look at what the opportunities are, going forward, I think there are some opportunities to make some needed amendments to this to allow certain things.
I know I spoke in Bill 30 to vertical integration, the ability for someone to produce a product and to sell it in a licensed establishment on their site or produce a product and distribute it to a local area, much like we see with wine and spirits and ciders and beers that are produced in the craft market. So I think that there are some amendments that can happen in the future. But for the most part, I and my colleagues are supportive of the approach that the government is taking to this.
We’re supportive of the framework that they’ve put in place, and I feel confident that we’re going to be able to put ourselves in a position to be compliant with the federal government and the desire to legalize the recreational use of cannabis and look forward to continuing the discussion and the debate in the committee stage and going in depth, in detail, on each of the sections we have in front of us.
With that, I’ll take my seat and thank the minister for the work on Bill 31.
Check out my response at second reading to Bill 30, Cannabis Control and Licensing Act.
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