Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the Liberal government has not decided how to tax marijuana, but is instead focused on making sure it stays out of the hands of children and criminals.
Sources have confirmed to The Canadian Press that the government will introduce legislation the week of April 10 to legalize pot.
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Morneau says the question of taxation hasn’t really been on the government’s radar, despite hopes that it will generate hundreds of millions – if not billions – of dollars in new revenue.
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The only mentions of marijuana in last week’s federal budget included $9.6 million redirected over five years toward public education and monitoring, and that any future taxes on pot would change over time.
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Provincial leaders say they are eagerly waiting to see what the federal legislation looks like so that they can start working to amend their own laws to make legal weed a reality.
Federal opposition parties are sharply divided when it comes to the government’s proposed timeline, with the Conservatives accusing the Liberals of rushing the legislation and the NDP complaining about delays.
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