Bill Blair says date of implementation for legal pot in Canada will not be July 1

OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – The federal government is dismissing more calls for a delay in marijuana legalization, but it isn’t giving an exact date for when pot will be legal for sale in Canada.

As Quebec and other provinces continue to call for a delay in legalization, the government’s point man on pot says the feds are sticking with their plan. But Bill Blair, the parliamentary secretary to health and justice, can’t say exactly when legal sales will begin.

“An appropriate date of implementation will be established once this legislation has passed.”

While many believe July 1 is the target date, the actual government deadline is no later than July 2018, which could mean before Canada Day, or even weeks after.

But Blair says one thing is for certain: “We are not going to have, as our date of implementation, July 1. That date, I think, is a very special date for all Canadians.”

The decision on an exact date will be made by Cabinet — only after legislation passes the House and Senate, and becomes law.

“There is an urgency to proceeding, but also an urgency to getting it right,” says Blair.

To hear the full interview, listen to Maclean’s On the Hill.