I want to thank my colleague for his comments. While I am somewhat sympathetic to it, I do have to come back to the stated purpose of the bill, which is to deter criminal activity by imposing serious criminal penalties. I think these amendments actually thwart the purpose of the bill. They restrict the court's ability to deal more appropriately with cases involving individuals who distribute, or possess for purposes of distribution, serious quantities of cannabis.
I think this allows the courts to then act accordingly, so I wouldn't support the amendment.