MONTREAL — The new federal government should proceed slowly with changing the country's drug laws, says the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, which has released a report on the U.S.'s experience legalizing cannabis.

Representatives with the centre, which is funded by Health Canada, met with officials from the two U.S. states to legalize pot for personal use — Colorado and Washington — to learn about what mistakes to avoid.

Rebecca Jesseman, senior adviser for the centre, said in an interview the Canadian addiction experts were given one key message during their visit south of the border: Take your time.

While the United States government continues to sandbag the issue of nationwide marijuana reform, the newly elected Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has already set into motion the procedures necessary to bring down prohibition in the northern nation.

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In a public mandate letter issued to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould Friday, Trudeau mandated his Justice Minister to "create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has given his first official order starting the process towards legalizing weed.

Fourteen years ago, B.C. Marijuana Party candidate Joshua McKenzie ran in the staunchly conservative provincial riding of Fort Langley-Aldergrove. He spent a memorable all-candidates meeting answering every question with one sentence: “If government legalized and taxed marijuana, there would be plenty of money for health care, education and other priorities.” By the end of the meeting, people were chanting his answer along with him.

McKenzie only drew 674 votes, but the belief that legalizing and taxing marijuana could pay for everything has only grown since 2001. The examples south of the border, however, seem to suggest that the truth is very different.

Unthinkable two decades ago, parents are joining together to fight for their children’s right to use marijuana – and many legislators and researchers are standing with them.

For some teenagers, this might seem like a dream come true, but for Stephanie Ayotte, who has an extreme form of epilepsy, the hope is not to get high: it’s to get better.

These dedicated parents – Jennifer and Andy Ayotte, Beth and Patrick Collins, and Paige Figi – among many others, have worked hard to expand access to medical marijuana because it has dramatically reduced, or even eliminated, the occurrence of severe uncontrollable seizures that are not treatable with conventional drugs.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has given his first official order starting the process towards legalizing weed. 

In a public mandate letter issued to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould Friday, Trudeau listed the government's top priorities, including working with the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Health ministers to "create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana."

New Justice Minister asked to set up legal framework

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called on Canada’s newly appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney-General Jody Wilson-Raybould to look into implementing marijuana legalization in the country.

In a mandate letter written to Wilson-Raybould, published on Friday, Trudeau asked her to collaborate with other ministers to “create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana.”

SASKATOON – A former University of Saskatchewan football player is guilty of drug trafficking charges in relation to a police bust that uncovered 14 pounds of marijuana in 2014. Seamus John Neary was convicted of four charges in a Saskatoon courtroom Monday, including possession of marijuana over three kilograms with the intent to traffic.

In February 2014, police found the marijuana after searching Neary’s home and a storage locker in his name.

“I think it was a cogent case from beginning to end,” said prosecutor Wade McBride, after the judgment was given.

“It was relatively straight forward and the judge tended to see it that way as well.”

Brandy Cavanagh, general manager of Mid-Island Health and Wellness Association, is upset after receiving written notice from the RCMP last Thursday that her marijuana dispensary has seven days to suspend operations.

Medical marijuana dispensary managers plan a united front and appeals to government in the wake of an ultimatum from the Nanaimo RCMP to shut down shop or face arrests.

The Nanaimo RCMP put 10 medical marijuana dispensaries on notice Thursday that they had seven days to stop the sale of marijuana and marijuana derivatives or they could be subject to police enforcement.

Medical marijuana shops have been growing in number in Nanaimo, selling bud, tinctures and marijuana-infused brownies.