OTTAWA—The Liberal plan to legalize marijuana by midsummer was rescued Thursday when senators — including Independents who were appointed but not controlled by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — voted for the Trudeau government’s proposed bill.
In a 44-29 vote, the Senate nudged forward Bill C-45, one of two key bills that would enact a new legal framework for cannabis production and distribution.
It was a “second reading” or vote on the bill in principle, and a late-hour victory that had appeared far from certain for a key Liberal promise, coming only after a memo went out late Wednesday to travelling independent senators to return for the crucial vote.
Top photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
