Thank you, Mr. Chair. As our report notes, the committee worked with the government to amend the bill to remove the provisions for a cannabis advisory council, as there was no clear indication of what it would be used for and there was a concern that it would allow an unelected body to weigh in on policy decisions that are more properly vested in the standing committee in our unique consensus system. However, there still is need for an internal government approach to future cannabis-based products, high-potency cannabis products, and licensed establishments for cannabis consumption.

As we have already heard in debate, the scope of the bill did not allow the standing committee to amend the bill to allow for cannabis lounges, and that has left us in a predicament where there are extensive regulations on where cannabis can be consumed publicly, but no legal place aside from your private property to do so. So it is the hope, by establishing a working group, that the GNWT will be in a better position to weigh in on these decisions, to take the time to develop how they are going to work, especially in regard to edibles, which are coming in 2019, and high-potency cannabis products, which many jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis have also brought under their regulations, as the existence of these products can have serious human health effects if they are not properly controlled. First, the committee hopes that this recommendation will carry and that the government will work to establish this group. That concludes my comments on this motion. However, I would like to ask for a recorded vote at the appropriate time. Thank you.