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Those three departments are now responsible for coming up with the government’s proposed scheme for legalizing marijuana.

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“Anne McLellan is the only former minister who has held all three portfolios that are relevant for this file,” said one industry representative. “It’s a good source in terms of someone with an understanding of all three departments.”

But while she indicated a willingness to debate decriminalization or legalization while serving as justice minister in 2001, she also described marijuana as a “dangerous substance” in 2005.

“We know it is a more potent carcinogen than smoke tobacco,” she said in an interview in March 2005, as the federal Liberals considered whether to make legalization official party policy. “That’s what the research tells us. That’s irrefutable. That’s science.”

NDP justice critic Murray Rankin welcomed news that the task force is being established, saying movement on the pot file is long overdue. “My first reaction is that it’s about time, and I’m glad there’s finally action on this,” he said.

The Liberals promised during the election to legalize marijuana while simultaneously making it harder for minors to obtain. As part of that, it said a federal-provincial task force would consult experts on public health, substance abuse and law enforcement to design a system of “strict marijuana sales and distribution.”

But the government has since been preoccupied with other priorities, and said little about marijuana. In the meantime, police have faced pressure to enforce the current law, while many Canadians have called for immediate decriminalization. Also, some businesses have tried to get ahead of the competition.