In the lead-up to the federal government approving Bill C-45, which legalized cannabis in 2018, Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson had a number of concerns with regards to the mind-altering substance.

Some concerns remain. However, others turned out to be not as bad as he initially anticipated.

The senator, who worked on the Senate Standing Committee on Indigenous Issues for Bill C-45, visited all of NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚 25 communities in the lead-up to the bill, said at the time there were plenty of concerns people still had regarding legalized cannabis, such brain damage, death and mental illness.

SA国际影视传媒淪afety was not the issue I thought it might be,SA国际影视传媒� said Patterson on Jan. 12. SA国际影视传媒淭here were a lot of dire predictions about the dangers of impaired driving and how hamlets will deal with heavy equipment operators who smoke a joint.

SA国际影视传媒淭his is anecdotal, but people have handled this fairly responsibly.SA国际影视传媒�

However, mental illness still remains a concern. Patterson asked, SA国际影视传媒淲hereSA国际影视传媒檚 the Indigenous education materials?SA国际影视传媒� while discussing the mental health risks of cannabis to the developing brains of people under age 25. SA国际影视传媒淓ducation is really important, (especially) education in Indigenous languages.SA国际影视传媒�

Progress on an addictions treatment centre, which Patterson advocated for in 2018, while slow, has been made in the form of IqaluitSA国际影视传媒檚 planned Nunavut Recovery Centre with a tripartite agreement between Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) training Inuit counsellors, the Government of Nunavut taking the lead and the federal government helping fund the treatment centre.

The NTI counsellors, set to be trained by the Makigiaqtia Inuit Training Corporation, is something that excites Patterson.

SA国际影视传媒�(ItSA国际影视传媒檚) a concept of training paraprofessionals, that, I think, will be an enormous boon to mental health in Nunavut,SA国际影视传媒� said the senator. SA国际影视传媒淭he sad reality is weSA国际影视传媒檝e been hiring masters of social work graduates of which there are no Inuit SA国际影视传媒� well-intentioned, well-qualified people from southern Canada who are not trusted by the Inuit. People donSA国际影视传媒檛 open up to people they donSA国际影视传媒檛 know.SA国际影视传媒�

When the federal government announced funding for the Nunavut Recovery Centre in August 2021, construction at the time was expected to take two years and to begin during the 2022 construction season but it has not yet started.

Patterson and Nunavut MP Lori Idlout have asked for an inflationary top-up for the construction Nunavut Recovery Centre in their 2023 federal pre-budget submission for Nunavut.

One issue that Patterson says has been slow is introducing pardons for people who have been convicted of cannabis possession prior to legalization.

SA国际影视传媒淭here has been a program but itSA国际影视传媒檚 been said to be too bureaucratic and too unsuccessful in clearing a large number of people who should have been cleared,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

On the national level, Patterson said while provinces have been difficult to deal with on including Indigenous communities in cannabis sales, that this hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 been the same case with the territory.

SA国际影视传媒淨uebec has been impossible to deal with, they have a monopoly. Definitely the provinces have gotten in the way. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 think itSA国际影视传媒檚 been the same case with Nunavut SA国际影视传媒� the government is being a little bit cautious, but there is a store here (in Iqaluit),SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Patterson contends the cannabis black market is still thriving, SA国际影视传媒渘ot just in Nunavut but across Canada.SA国际影视传媒�

He still feels good about the position he took before, despite some problems not being as bad as he thought they would be.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e still not there yet,SA国际影视传媒� the senator said. SA国际影视传媒淭he government is talking a good line but slow and incomplete.SA国际影视传媒�