In the years since cannabis was legalized in Canada, both medicinally and recreationally, cannabis amnesty has become a pressing issue.
What is cannabis amnesty? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like it is: an official pardon for Canadians charged with possession of small quantities of cannabis. More than 100,000 Canadians have criminal records for cannabis possession, and it’s a well known fact that the enforcement of pre-legalization marijuana laws disproportionately affected Indigenous and Black people. A recent report co-produced by the independent professional services firm Deloitte and Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) showed evidence that there are significant opportunities for improvement when it comes to equity, diversity, and inclusion in Canada’s legal cannabis industry. Cannabis companies, both big and small, from Canopy and Aurora to TREC and Entourage Health, are all on board with supporting amnesty efforts in Canada.
There’s a plethora of reasons why cannabis amnesty matters.
People have garnered criminal records for simply being caught with a joint or a couple grams of weed, which can certainly have a lifelong impact on employment opportunities, not to mention housing, travel and even child custody potentially being affected. In 2019, the federal government passed Bill C-93, which waived the five-to-ten year post-conviction waiting period to apply for a pardon, including the $631 application fee. Although the aforementioned bill was a move in the right direction, it still isn’t enough for those who have been charged for an outdated crime. Cannabis was legalized in Canada in 2017, and by 2018 the not-for-profit advocacy group Cannabis Amnesty was formed and has since raised public awareness, pushing for government legislation. The group is currently developing a pardons clinic, which will provide free lawyer services to Canadians undertaking the pardons process, as well as launching an internship program for young people aged 21 to 30 from communities affected by pre-legalization cannabis laws.
Many licensed producers are supporting cannabis amnesty efforts,
from bigger companies like Canopy and Aurora to smaller brands like Royal City Cannabis Co. and Thumbs Up. Some have made donations and even created sales where proceeds go towards the cause. For instance, Canopy has worked with Cannabis Amnesty since 2017 and has supported the organization with its pardons clinic project, even providing the funding for the first phase. Ultimately, Cannabis Amnesty looks to right the historical wrongs caused by decades of cannabis criminalization, and more particularly, its impact on racialized communities. With the surging popularity of cannabis consumption and more companies getting behind this agenda, it’s encouraging to know that strides are being made in oppressed communities and cannabis culture all at once.
