Library of Parliament Legislative Summary on Bill to Pardon Simple Cannabis Possession

The Library of Parliament frequently publishes legislative summaries for some of the federal bills of the current session. The summaries contain background and analysis of bills in front of the House of Commons and the Senate.

One recent summary is about Bill C-93: An Act to provide no-cost, expedited record suspensions for simple possession of cannabis:

"Bill C‑93, An Act to provide no‑cost, expedited record suspensions for simple possession of cannabis, was introduced in the House of Commons by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness on 1 March 2019 and received first reading that same day."

"The introduction of this bill follows the passage of the Cannabis Act, most of whose provisions came into force on 17 October 2018. That Act legalized several cannabis‑related activities, such as the possession of 30 g or less of dried cannabis or equivalent in a public place, and the possession of four or fewer cannabis plants per dwelling house. The result is that there are individuals with criminal records for past activities that are no longer considered criminal offences."

"Bill C‑93 amends the Criminal Records Act (CRA) to allow individuals who were convicted for possession of cannabis products before 17 October 2018 to request a record suspension (formerly known as a pardon) without having to wait the usual period of time and without being required to pay a fee. The Minister of Justice published a “Charter Statement” declaring that he has examined the bill and has not identified any potential effects on the rights and freedoms protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."