Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer won’t say whether he would undo the current federal government’s move to legalize recreational marijuana if elected prime minister next year.

“The Conservative Party will do our due diligence, examine the consequences of this decision and we’ll examine the reality on the ground,” Scheer told Don Martin on CTV Power Play Thursday when asked for a yes or no answer on whether he would re-criminalize cannabis if he wins the 2019 federal election.  

“We have to be realistic about what a change like this means to society and all the ramifications,” he added.

“But I can tell you that we are watching this very closely.”  

The party leader, whose comments came the day after recreational cannabis became legal in Canada, pointed to concerns from health experts around the minimum age and from law enforcement around roadside testing.

The Conservative leader has been critical of the current Liberal government’s move to legalize pot. On Wednesday, Scheer told reporters Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision was “rushed” under an “artificial political deadline.”

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