Trudeau says he won’t wait long to address potential pot pardons
Posted October 16, 2018 9:08 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – With the legalization of recreational marijuana coming into effect tomorrow, the Trudeau government will soon be dealing with possible pot pardons.
On his way into his weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he won’t wait long to address the issue of people who have criminal records for acts that will no longer be against the law.
“We’re going to be working on that as soon as the day of legalization comes into force. We’ll be talking about that in the coming days and weeks.”
People with convictions for simple drug crimes that will soon be legal have been calling on the government to wipe their records clean so they can lose the stigma and not be blocked from volunteering or getting a job.
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The government has already indicated if it does grant potential pardons or expungements, they won’t be for crimes like drug trafficking or impaired driving as those acts will still be illegal under the new system.
It’s believed the feds will most likely address convictions around simple possession of small amounts of marijuana.
The prime minister is also urging parents to speak with their kids about marijuana, saying the goal of legalization is to keep the drug out of the hands of children and battle the black market.
