The Subject Matter of Bill C-45

'On 27 February 2018, the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples (the Committee) began studying the subject matter of Bill C-45, An Act respecting cannabis and to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other Acts, as it relates to the Indigenous peoples of Canada. The Committee held five meetings and heard from a diverse group of 23 witnesses, including: six Indigenous organizations, four First Nations, three regional Indigenous organizations, two Inuit Elders, two police forces, two Indigenous cannabis industry groups, and the Manitoba Child and Youth Advocate representing the Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates. The Committee also heard from officials from five federal government departments and from Senator Dennis Patterson, who shared his experiences from meetings with Nunavut communities. The Committee also received briefs from six organizations and individuals. It is a complex topic, but despite the short time available to conduct a study, the Committee heard from a wide range of witnesses'--Introduction, p. 7.