Andrew Bernstein Encourages Canada's Continued Drug Treaty Involvement Despite Violations

Partner Andrew Bernstein has given an on camera interview with CGTN about Canada’s upcoming marijuana legalization.

The story discusses international drug treaties and how, despite overwhelming endorsement from within, this move will break Canada’s compliance with three treaties which Canada has signed. Canada’s compliance with these treaties will be broken in accordance with the stance the United Nations conventions have taken on restricting signatory countries from selling drugs for recreational purposes.

Consequently, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) could take action against Canada, imposing minor sanctions, which Andrew deems unlikely.

Andrew told CGTN that Afghanistan and its poppy trade was the only country to have ever been sanctioned under the treaties.

“We’re not really on the same scale here,” he said.

“We’re not exporting heroin around the world. We’re just legalizing cannabis for domestic use.”

He also said it is better for Canada to maintain its position in the treaty despite its compliance breaches.

“There’s lots of things that Canada and Canadians are still very supportive of like prohibition of cocaine, opium-related drugs, things like that, and stopping international trafficking of those kinds of drugs,” he said.

Andrew, along with other members of our team, has written extensively about the cannabis industry and food and drug regulatory practices on the relevant pages.