Madam Chair, it is important, when we look at the Portugal model, to understand what was done there and what the order of operations was.
It put in place mandatory public education, and it had 170 treatment and recovery centres for 11 million people. It has a truly universal health care system, where mental health is covered, so everyone can afford to get it.
When it decriminalized, it did not come without any penalties. People get a hearing with a panel of a medical specialist, a legal specialist and a psychologist, who impose sanctions. The panel may let people off if it is their first time, but if people continue to have issues and are health care workers, it can sanction them so they cannot work. It can send people to therapy if they need it or to treatment and recovery centres. Portugal has those things in place. Those are the things that are missing that we need to work on and progress toward in Canada.