Senator Tony Dean

Senator Tony Dean In the 12-month run-up to the next federal election several priority government bills are landing in the Senate. These include Bill C-59 dealing with national security, C-69 which would create a new energy regulator, and Bill C-71 which touches on the regulation of firearms. As Senators ready themselves for more political fireworks they can lean on their experience in reviewing Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, earlier this year. Here’s a quick reminder of how C-45…

From the office of Senator Tony Dean NEWS RELEASE SENATE VOTES IN FAVOUR OF CANNABIS LEGALIZATION ALONG WITH AMENDMENTS June 7, 2018 OTTAWA– Canada’s Senate voted Thursday to legalize and regulate cannabis while adding a series of amendments that will now go to the House of Commons for its consideration.  The Senate voted 56-30 – with 1 abstention – to approve the bill along with amendments that include the recognition of provincial authority to regulate home cultivation and a…

For immediate release PRESS RELEASE BILL TO LEGALIZE CANNABIS MOVES FORWARD IN THE SENATE OTTAWA, May 28, 2018 - A key committee studying Canada’s cannabis legalization bill is recommending that the provinces have total authority to prohibit home cultivation, that young adults be spared from harsh criminal sanctions for social sharing, and that permanent residents and refugees be protected from unintended consequences of the Bill as part of a series of amendments that will be…

Senator Tony Dean The Canadian model of cannabis reform is focused on improving public health and protecting our kids. It will be constrained, conservative, and reflective of middle-ground Canadian value. Canada is on track to legalize and strictly regulate cannabis some time in the next few months. This is not without controversy, but we are not going to see the sort of Wild West model that unfolded rapidly in Colorado and other U.S. states. The Canadian model of cannabis refo…

A licensed cannabis production facility in Smiths Falls, Ont., is opening its doors to Senators as they study a bill that sets the framework for legalizing and regulating cannabis in Canada. The tour will give members of the Upper Chamber an opportunity to view how the product is grown in commercial quantities and ask detailed questions to Canopy Growth Corporation representatives. Debate on Bill C-45, the proposed Cannabis Act, began in the Senate last November with Senator To…

Senator Tony Dean Provinces, municipalities, police forces, businesses, investors and untold other Canadians have been working at the double-quick to get ready for legalization of cannabis. Canada’s senators must not be seen as partisan laggards who hold up their hard work. From the day I took on sponsorship of this bill in the Senate, the question I have heard most frequently from journalists interested in cannabis Bill C-45 was, ‘when will the bill be approved by the Senate?’…