Former police chief Bill Blair to handle Liberals’ pot legalization

By News staff and The Canadian Press

Former Toronto police chief and now Scarborough Southwest MP Bill Blair will be taking charge of the Trudeau government’s plan to legalize marijuana.

In his role as parliamentary secretary to justice, Blair will play a leading role in legalizing and “strictly regulating marijuana,” a spokesperson from the Justice Department told 680 NEWS.

Appointing a former police chief to lead these efforts may be the Liberals’ attempt to calm fears some Canadians may have, but Conservative Justice Critic Rob Nicholson told 680 NEWS that doesn’t change anything for the Opposition.

“We’ve been against it and we’ve been consistent on that,” Nicolson said,

To develop a strategy, Blair will likely have to sit down with officials from law enforcement, health care and provincial governments, and study rules in other jurisdictions that have already legalized the drug.

When he was police chief, Blair seemed to somewhat side with legalizing marijuana.

Back in October 2014, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) called for the legalization of marijuana through a government-controlled monopoly and with limited availability.

At the time, Blair said that while laws are not made by the police, he is “very encouraged by that public health approach advocated by CAMH and by a recognition that regulation of cannabis has value in public policy.”

During last year’s federal election campaign, Justin Trudeau promised to legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana to keep it out of the hands of children while denying criminals the financial profits.

The government plans to remove marijuana consumption and incidental possession from the Criminal Code. It wants to create new laws to punish those who provide it to minors or operate a motor vehicle while under its influence.

Trudeau also said he will work with the provinces, territories and municipal governments, including public health officials, to design a new system of marijuana sales and distribution.

During a roundtable interview last month, the Prime Minister said legalizing marijuana is about public health and safety and not making money. He said money raised through marijuana taxation should go towards addiction treatment, mental health support and education programs.

With files from Cormac MacSweeney

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