"Cannabis should be, from here on, in legal and of restricted use, so that Canadians can choose whether to consume or not in security," said Sen. Pierre Claude Nolin, a Progressive Conservative Party member from Quebec province.

Nolin chaired the Senate's Special Committee on Illegal Drugs. The committee recently released a report with the recommendation that the government give amnesty to those convicted of marijuana possession under current or past legislation and expunge their criminal records.

"Domestic and international experts and Canadians from every walk of life told us loud and clear that we should not be imposing criminal records on users or unduly prohibiting personal use of cannabis," Nolin said.

Based on a review of evidence, the committee determined that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and does not lead to harder drugs.

"Make no mistake, we are not endorsing cannabis use for recreational consumption. Whether or not an individual uses marijuana should be a personal choice that is not subject to criminal penalties," said Nolin. "But we have come to the conclusion that, as a drug, it should be regulated by the state much as we do for wine and beer, hence our preference for legalization over decriminalization."

The committee also recommended that the laws concerning driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs be amended "to lower permitted alcohol levels to 40 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, in the presence of other drugs, especially, but not exclusively cannabis; and to admit evidence from expert police officers trained in detecting persons operating vehicles under the influence of drugs."

Lawmakers will review the committee's report before voting on the issue.

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