Mission to Canada
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VIENNA, 25 October - A mission of the Board visited Canada from 19 to 21 October 2016. The mission was conducted by Mr. Werner Sipp, President of the Board, accompanied by Ms. Beate Hammond of the INCB secretariat. The primary objective of the mission was to discuss legislative measures currently being developed relating to the legalization and regulation of the non-medical use of cannabis. The last mission of theBoard visited Canada in 2013.
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The mission held high-level talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Health, the Chair of the Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General of Canada and Member of the House of Commons for Scarborough Southwest, Ontario. |
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Meetings were also held with the participation of senior officials from Health Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Public Safety Canada, the Department of Justice, the British Columbia Ministry of Public Safety, the British Columbia Ministry of Health, Vancouver Police, City of Vancouver and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. In addition, the mission had the opportunity to visit a drug injection facility in British Columbia as well as a licensed manufacturer of medical cannabis in Ontario. The mission also conferred with representatives of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and Moms Stop the Harm.
Discussions focused on compliance with the international drug control treaties, national and international drug control policy, including the planned legalization of the non-medical use of cannabis, overdoses related to fentanyl, the new access to cannabis for medical purposes regulations, drug injection rooms, and the proposals and action taken by the Government to address these issues.
The findings of the mission will be considered by the Board at its session in November 2016.