Evidence of meeting #67 for Health in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was legal.
A video is available from Parliament.
3:15 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
You anticipated where I was going next, which is enforcement. Who will be responsible for enforcing Bill C-45on reserve lands and band land?
3:15 p.m.
Ontario Regional Chief, Chiefs of Ontario
I think it's highly irresponsible of the federal government to not be able to answer that question at this committee right now. That's one of the outstanding questions we have that is going to really determine whether we state we're ready or not.
I have to tell you that most communities are very nervous right now about, in fact, not being able to enforce their own laws or even the federal-provincial laws with respect to medical and recreational cannabis.
3:15 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
We've had a number of people testify about the harm that criminalization metes out, particularly to youth, particularly to marginalized groups, particularly to people of colour, and of course the indigenous communities, as well. There has been a call to have the government, particularly the Minister of Justice, instruct federal prosecutors to stop prosecuting people for simple acts of possession now. Is that a call that you would favour and support?
3:15 p.m.
Ontario Regional Chief, Chiefs of Ontario
I would support that, yes, the caveat being that there needs to be a plan to deal with the impact of that.
We certainly know that the cultural shift in Canada is changing now. We smell marijuana when we walk down the road in our urban centres now. What is that doing to the family? What is it doing to the communities? We know that, once this rolls out formally, there will be major changes in our communities. The federal government needs to consider that going forward.
3:15 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Finally, are there any first nations producers that you're aware of? Is anybody in the first nations world looking to this as perhaps an economic development potential for first nations?
3:15 p.m.
Ontario Regional Chief, Chiefs of Ontario
Yes, there are. I need to be clear on that. This is where I don't have the authority to give you any information as to where they are, but they do exist.
Our first nations communities are entrepreneurial. They know what their sovereignty rights are, and they certainly are preparing for the economic opportunities. I'm being told that first nations businesses and communities are going to want to assert their rightful place within this emerging industry.
3:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
That completes our official time. I want to thank—
I beg your pardon, Ms. Gladu. go ahead.
3:15 p.m.
Conservative
Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Do we have time for another round? I don't think we finish until 3:45.
I'd like to move to seek unanimous consent to have another round.
3:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
Do we have unanimous consent for another round of five-minute questions? We do.
Ms. Sidhu.
3:15 p.m.
Liberal
Sonia Sidhu Liberal Brampton South, ON
Chief Day, it is a known fact that throughout the criminal justice system indigenous Canadians are overrepresented. How do you think the use of the Youth Criminal Justice Act might help benefit indigenous youth? This legislation also includes a ticketing option for minor offences by adults. Do you see a similar benefit to the indigenous community?
3:15 p.m.
Ontario Regional Chief, Chiefs of Ontario
I think so. I think it will prompt the federal government to again look at the community justice systems. Finding those solutions won't be of a one-size-fits-all nature. It will be very important for the federal and provincial governments to recognize that community justice programs per region will need appropriate attention and appropriate investment. One region—the Province of Alberta, let's say—may have a different working relationship with the first nations in that region, and those programs may be different in nature.
In Ontario, we're continually looking at ways of improving our relationship with the Ontario government, but again I'll say that it is always going to boil down to the types of investments that are made in community policing. Community safety will always be our target, but enhancing and augmenting those capacities at the community level will require that we have a hand in any changes in legislation that promotes moving beyond reacting to addiction and kids in courts and the penal system to those who are actually moving beyond that and getting the proper mental health services and proper prevention programs.
Yes, I think there should be adjustments made. I think that should be a high consideration for this committee to consider.
3:20 p.m.
Conservative
Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Thank you, Chair. My question is for the Métis nation.
I was interested to hear, when you were talking about the age statistics, that 41% of Métis are under 25. We've had a lot of discussion here about what the age of legalization should be. We had testimony from the Canadian Medical Association, and also quite a number of doctors, that everybody under the age of 25 using cannabis has had an increased risk of schizophrenia, psychotic disorders, depression—a number of mental health issues. I'm interested in your view on where we should set that age for legal smoking and possession.
3:20 p.m.
Minister of Health, Métis National Council
When we were looking at that, we talked about that same issue. It's different from B.C. to Ontario. That's why we came up with the legal age of 19 for consent. That's the drinking age, so that's why we went with the age of 19. If we go to 25.... Realistically, they're going to be smoking cannabis anyway, so we thought 19 was a good age.
Earlier, there was a question about possession. We have to look at how it's necessary to separate the drug use from the criminal field and the illegal market. There are a lot of issues that we have to look at.
3:20 p.m.
Conservative
Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Yes, with respect to possession for children ages 12 to 17, the bill recommends that they could have up to five grams. There was conversation about whether they should receive any criminal charge if the possession amount was above that, or whether it should be a ticketable offence, or whether there should be perhaps mandatory education and medical follow-up. Do you have any opinions? I would ask all of you if you have any views to share.
September 14th, 2017 / 3:20 p.m.
Minister of Health, Métis National Council
I think there has to be that education and medical follow-up. Again, for us, the education part is really important and the communication. You know, if they get a criminal charge at that young age, it's going to be with them for a long time. I know a lot of communities like to deal with this within their communities also. For us, that education and health component would be how to move forward on that.
3:20 p.m.
Ontario Regional Chief, Chiefs of Ontario
Just quickly, you know, the regulatory impacts of this legislation are going to be huge on our communities. We're dealing with a long list of policy and legislative issues on a day-to-day basis. This one is going to be huge because it's not just the health, not just the economic, but the social. I would say that the social impact burden of cannabis use and age levels and provisions within the law are going to need to be discussed in our communities very quickly. Given the fact that there are 289 days left, I can't even fathom that we'll be ready to accept legislation from the federal government by that time.
3:20 p.m.
Conservative
Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
All right.
The hemp producers were here, and they asked to be exempted from this legislation. They asked us to add them to the schedule. Would there be any concern from your communities if we did that?
3:25 p.m.
Ontario Regional Chief, Chiefs of Ontario
I have no comment on that. I have not put any thought to that.
3:25 p.m.
Conservative
Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Okay.
My final question then has to do with packaging. Obviously the purpose of the packaging part of this is to try to make sure it's not an attractive package that's going to appeal to youth and all that kind of thing. Are there any cultural considerations that we should include in the packaging regulations?
3:25 p.m.
Minister of Health, Métis National Council
We haven't even gone down the packaging road yet. I mean, look at cigarettes. There is no packaging and it's all behind doors. So, we haven't even looked at the packaging side of that at this time.
3:25 p.m.
Ontario Regional Chief, Chiefs of Ontario
For first nations, again, I think the overall effort in the tobacco control strategy and what the federal government has done around packaging is based on prevention. We definitely don't want people getting sick as a result of cannabis. If we use packaging as a way to prevent illness and the impact of such, then I think we do support that.
But there is also the other side of it, the proprietary interests and rights of first nations. First nations are always going to defer and try to find, in our discussions with federal and provincial governments, the rights and proprietary interests of our people in business. Things are different in our first nations communities. You look at the cigarette industry. We have seen some accelerated advancements in that industry in Ontario that benefit the communities. They certainly look at branding and at packaging, and it is something that is a proprietary interest and something that's now going to need to be protected as well.