MONTREAL -- Public pressure on the Quebec government was so strong it had little choice but to table a strict bill on marijuana legalization that will give the province full control over the industry, stakeholders and business officials said Thursday.
Bill 157 aims to push out the private sector and create a zero-tolerance policy for driving under the influence of all drugs.
RELATED: Quebec Prepares to Table Cannabis Legalization Bill
"This is an important change to our society," Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois told reporters. "The experts recommended we be prudent to start and then to see if we need to adjust. They asked us to be rigorous and to see how citizens evolve."
Under the bill, all cannabis cultivated in Quebec must be sold by the government, through a subsidiary of the provincially run liquor board, although the legislation gives the province flexibility to make exceptions.
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