On Monday, the Canadian Medical Association Journal published an editorial calling legalisation “a national, uncontrolled experiment in which the profits of cannabis producers and tax revenues are squarely pitched against the health of Canadians”.
There are also still some legal wrinkles to be worked out.
Canada has brought in new drug impaired driving offences, but doubts remain about the reliability of screening technology and the potential for drugged driving cases to clog up the courts. Federal statistics indicate that about half of all cannabis users do not believe their driving is impaired after taking marijuana. On Wednesday, government officials announced they will present legislation intended to fast-track pardon applications of people who have been convicted of possession under 30g (one ounce). There are currently some 500,000 Canadians with existing criminal records for possession. The change in national drug policy has also created headaches with the US, where the drug remains federally a controlled substance. On Tuesday, the US Customs Border Protection Agency said border guards will have “broad latitude” to determine who is admissible to the country. Border guards may ask Canadians if they smoke cannabis, and deny them entry if they believe they intend to do so in the US. Canada has also been rolling out signs at all airports and border crossings to warn travellers that crossing international borders with the drug remains illegal. The move to defrock the two Chilean archbishops came a day after Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Washington DC archbishop Donald Wuerl, who has been criticised for his handling of sexual abuse cases. A Pennsylvania grand jury report on sex abuse released in August said he had allowed accused priests to be reassigned or reinstated. He will reportedly retain his title of cardinal and continue in his role until a successor is found. Allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy worldwide continue to affect the Church. Most of the victims were boys, and more than half were aged 13 or younger. Pope Francis has already condemned these actions of the members