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Bill C-46 is one of two bills concerning legalizing recreational marijuana use that the government introduced this spring, and will try to get through Parliament by next summer. Wilson-Raybould has insisted a timeline of having the legalization take effect by July 2018 is reasonable, despite concerns from provinces it’s too fast and will strain their resources.

The committee studying C-46 will now start hearing from experts on impaired driving and drug testing, likely well into the fall.

Other provisions in the bill would restrict the defences available to someone charged with drunk driving, in particular one defence that allows someone to claim they had the drink so soon before driving that the alcohol hadn’t yet entered their bloodstream.

The new law would simply make it illegal to be over the limit within two hours of driving, which Pentney said he hopes will alleviate the resource strain on courts dealing with drunk-driving cases.

The legislation would also allow police to conduct a roadside saliva test for marijuana — though Wilson-Raybould conceded the science is still being worked on regarding how much marijuana in a person’s system constitutes impairment, and how well it can be tested.

“We’re taking a precautionary approach, the premise being that no level of drug impairment or ingestion of drugs is appropriate if you’re planning to get behind the wheel of your car,” she said, noting the legislation incorporates the best available evidence from an expert advisory committee, as well as impairment levels set by other jurisdictions.

“The science with respect to impairment by drugs is not as clear as it is with respect to impairment by alcohol … We’re going to continue to embrace recommendations that come from them as the science continues to evolve.”

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