Americas Canada to legalise marijuana 'within months', says MP

Liberals 'confident' law will be passed, despite stiff opposition from Conservatives.

Canada is on track to legalise marijuana for recreational use within months, an MP has said.

Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party vowed to introduce the measure during the 2015 election campaign and brought legislation on the matter to the House of Commons in April 2017.

The bill was later referred to the Senate, where it has faced fierce stiff opposition from Conservatives.Police chiefs and psychiatrists have warned that a sudden transition could lead to an increase in children taking up the drug and more people driving under its influence.

But, according to parliamentary secretary for the minister of public safety, Mark Holland, the Liberal Party is “confident” marijuana will be legalised quickly.

“We’re working closely with the senate and we feel confident, at this time, in that timeline of end of summer that we’re going to see a regime that will control and legalise cannabis,” he told Canadian television programme The West Block.

Under the proposed bill, the government would license ­cannabis farms by regulated producers and set standards of strength and penalties for abuse. It will also say buyers must be at least 18 years old.

Canada’s provincial governments will decide how the drug will be sold and at what price