Thank you, Mr. Chair.
This proposed amendment would provide certainty and timing for Canadians and the industry that edibles containing cannabis and cannabis concentrates would be authorized for sale, no more than 12 months after the coming into force date of the proposed cannabis act.
We heard from many witnesses that having edibles as part of the legalization of cannabis was important. We heard from public health that limiting legalized cannabis to dried forms would encourage smoking and there are significant public health consequences associated with smoking cannabis. We also heard from many consumer groups and users that they felt that having edibles was an important method for their proper use of the drug.
We also heard, though, from other jurisdictions that had legalized it that it was important to go slowly to make sure that we had time to get this right. We also heard from representatives of government that there was work to be done in regs and in other bills that would have to be finished and completed to properly implement this. Having said that, I still think we should be making the amendment that edibles would be available 12 months after the bill comes into force.
That's what this motion does. There's a companion motion with it that comes up in a couple of motions to deal with the rest of that.