Canada needs to explain balance between UN treaties, legal cannabis: experts

“Canada is one of the world’s leading countries, a member of the G7, a country that everyone looks up to … what we do and the consequences of us violating international law are very different than the consequences of other countries … it is a big deal if Canada breaks international law.”

Canada is currently one of more than 185 parties to three United Nations drug-control conventions — the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1988 Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

Documents obtained early last year by The Canadian Press detailed how all three treaties require the criminalization of possession and production of cannabis, noting Canada must explore how to inform the international community of its plans to legalize marijuana and review steps to adjust obligations under these conventions.

The federal government is examining a range of issues related to the legalization of cannabis, including international commitments, said a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

“We are committed to working with our global partners to best promote public health and combat illicit drug trafficking,” Adam Austen said in a statement.

But NDP health critic Don Davies said Freeland is failing to acknowledge the government will no longer be in compliance with the treaties once cannabis gets the legal green light.

“I think it is the norm in our country to respect those agreements and to make sure we are in compliance so the only responsible course of action would have been to notify the UN of our intention to withdraw from those treaties,” he said.

Canadians expect a clearer, more responsible approach from Ottawa on the legalization of marijuana, he added.

Conservative foreign affairs critic Peter Kent said these decisions should have been made public weeks ago.

“We encourage our international partners — democracies and non-democracies — to respect treaties to the letter,” Kent said in an interview.

“If Canada, for whatever reason, finds itself in violation, that is a sad day.”

—Follow @kkirkup on Twitter

Kristy Kirkup, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Canada needs to explain balance between UN treaties, legal cannabis: experts

Our Community