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All I know is this is the right thing to do. The current state of affairs is completely unjust. Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith

“All I know is this is the right thing to do. The current state of affairs is completely unjust,” he said in an interview, pointing out that amnesty was part of the original Liberal Party resolution on marijuana legalization.

Erskine-Smith has also spoken out in favour of decriminalization of marijuana and other drugs. But his party has steadfastly refused to consider decriminalizing pot possession ahead of legalization in July.

“This is a major change in the law. It takes time to get there in an orderly fashion,” Goodale told reporters on Friday. “And in the meantime, the existing law remains and people need to obey that law.”

Erskine-Smith said it’s too late to argue about decriminalization now. “That ship sailed, and so I think the next best thing is — where can we move the needle on addressing the previous injustices of prohibition?”

NDP MP Don Davies said Ottawa could consider issuing a blanket pardon for possession offences that would no longer be illegal under the Liberals’ pot legislation. Otherwise, he said, the government could decide to waive the five-year wait and the roughly $600 fee that Canadians currently face if they want to have their criminal record suspended. But to refuse amnesty, he said, would be “illogical and harmful.”

However, Davies noted that a criminal record for pot possession, even after a pardon, would likely still be visible to U.S. border guards. He urged Goodale to “at least try” to negotiate with the U.S. administration to come up with a solution for Canadians travelling south of the border, where marijuana is still illegal under federal law.

There have been other indications that Ottawa is open to some form of amnesty for those with cannabis offences. Draft regulations released in November show that the government is considering allowing those with charges of small-scale pot possession or cultivation to obtain the security clearance necessary to occupy a senior role with a licensed marijuana company.

With files from Brian Platt and the Canadian Press

• Email: mforrest@postmedia.com | Twitter: MauraForrest