Withdrawing from drug treaties over legal pot would be a ‘mistake’: Freeland

"We do believe our approach is consistent with the over-arching goal of the conventions"
Ipolitics (Canada)
Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland is defending the Liberal government’s decision not to withdraw from three international drug treaties, which Canada will violate once cannabis is legalized, arguing it would have been a “mistake” and “very wrong” to pull Canada out of the international legal framework. Freeland said the conventions regulate the movement of more than 100 drugs and substances, including “many that play a role in Canada and indeed North America’s opioid crisis.” Freeland said legalizing cannabis will result in Canada “contravening certain obligations related to cannabis under the three UN drug conventions,” but the country will continue to “be in line” with the objectives of the conventions.