Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in approximately four and a half months, Canada will be lifting a 95-year prohibition on cannabis and will formally legalize the recreational use of cannabis nation-wide. This will truly be a monumental moment for both our country and for the world, because Canada will become only the second country in the world to legalize consumption and sale of recreational cannabis.
Overall, Mr. Speaker, I believe this move by the federal government is a smart one. Simply put, prohibition has not worked. I am glad that our country is finally ending the criminalization of people over cannabis. The lives of countless people have been disrupted due to harsh penalties for cannabis-related offences, as many people have received criminal records and have faced jail time for minor, non-violent drug offences.
Mr. Speaker, I must also state that there are aspects of the legalization that I think have been overlooked. I am referring specifically to amnesty for those who have been criminalized for cannabis-related offences. What will happen to people who are presently in jail for marijuana-related offences? Is Canada ready to modify sentences to let people out of jail? Will Canada pardon, suspend, or expunge criminal records related to marijuana?
Mr. Speaker, we can look at California as an example. In 2016, California legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and contained within their legislation was a provision that enables people with prior marijuana convictions to be able to apply to the courts to have their convictions dismissed. This resulted in thousands of cannabis convictions dismissed from people's records and many people released from jails with reduced prison sentences.
Mr. Speaker, according to a recent poll by Nanos Research, 62 per cent of Canadians said they support pardons for people with marijuana possession convictions. There have also been numerous organizations, law firms, and advocates who have been urging the federal government to provide cannabis amnesty. I sincerely hope that if, in fact, our federal government does decide to provided cannabis amnesty, then our government here in the Northwest Territories will follow suit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.