The Couillard Liberals have apparently made a final decision on pot sales — the minimum age will be 18.
Reports are also suggesting the government has also decided pot won't be sold in depanneurs, but rather, the government intends to create a Crown corporation to manage pot sales. The new entity is expected to be similar to, and will draw on the expertise of, the SAQ.
The debate over age restrictions was especially intense among Liberals. Health minister Gaetan Barrette, among others, had wanted to restrict sales to those 21 and over.
Meanwhile, the opposition CAQ also wanted to set the age limit at 21, arguing smoking weed is harmful for brains still undergoing development.
The CAQ's justice critic, Simon Jolin-Barrette, is blaming the premier for rejecting that advice.
"The health minister, Gaetan Barrette, and most members of the Liberal caucus say, 'we want 21 years old,'" Jolin-Barrette says, "but premier Couillard, he wouldn't listen to them."
Quebec's age for consuming and buying pot is in line with the legal drinking age — as it will be in Ontario, where the legal age is 19.
Cannabis is due to be legalized across Canada on or before July 1, 2018.