Cannabis became legal in Canada on Oct. 17, but some Canadians are still facing repercussions of when the drug was still illegal.

The morning of Oct. 17, the Liberals said they are going to put forward a bill to pardon criminal records from cannabis possession convictions, but MP Murray Rankin said thatB次元官网网址檚 not good enough.

B次元官网网址淚t makes all the world of difference for people who have to fill out forms and say they do or donB次元官网网址檛 have convictions for criminal activity,B次元官网网址� Rankin said Wednesday. B次元官网网址淢y bill is about expungement of records for people who have simple possession charges, people who have been convicted of what after today is a totally legal offence.B次元官网网址�

By expunging the criminal offence, itB次元官网网址檚 deemed by law not to have happened. It affects applications for housing, jobs or trying to cross the U.S. border, which currently does not recognize pardons, Rankin said.

READ MORE:

Rankin introduced his own bill in Parliament on Oct. 4, less than two weeks before the Cannabis Act came into effect. He said it was ironic that the government was critical of the provinces for not being ready for the Oct. 17 legalization, but donB次元官网网址檛 have their bill about pardons written. HeB次元官网网址檚 still hoping he can work with the Liberals on their bill, although his is now before Parliament.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e going to bring in a pardon regime, which is a very half-baked measure that wonB次元官网网址檛 do what needs to be done.B次元官网网址�

Minister Goodale said they are not considering expungement, although, like RankinB次元官网网址檚 bill, they would make the process of applying to clear a criminal record quick and free. Currently, there is a $631 fee for the application.

B次元官网网址淣ot a lot of poor Indigenous or inner-city blacks in Toronto are going to have that kind of money to apply. The sad part is those are the very people we need to help,B次元官网网址� Rankin said. B次元官网网址淭his is a matter of justice.B次元官网网址�

Rankin argues that possession of cannabis does qualify for expungement. Goodale said it is not a historical injustice, but Rankin points to the disproportionate number of black or Indigenous Canadians who were convicted of possession.

In the Cannabis Stats Hub created by Statistics Canada, it shows that criminal offences of possessing cannabis were nearly twice as high in B.C. as the national average per population. More than 500,000 Canadians have criminal records of possession.

Rankin said he has not heard of what will happen to Canadians currently serving time for possessing cannabis, but said he was told there are some.

READ MORE:

@KeiliBartlett
keili.bartlett@blackpress.ca

Like us on and follow us on