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QUEBEC — Mayor Valérie Plante is calling on the Quebec government to exempt Montreal from rules tightening the consumption of cannabis because she says they do not reflect the city’s reality or budget.

But the Coalition Avenir Québec government minister in charge of pot does not appear willing to make many fundamental changes to his plan, which, among other things, will make it much harder to smoke in public places and increase the legal age to consume from 18 to 21.

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“We aren’t backing away, this is clear,” Lionel Carmant told reporters Tuesday at the National Assembly. “What we want to do is reduce consumption among youth, and allowing people to smoke in public risks increasing (their use of pot).

Photo by Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Asked if groups are wasting their time in appearing before a committee examining the CAQ’s legislation, Bill 2, Carmant insisted he is listening.

“Who says I’m not ready to backtrack on anything?” Carmant said.