The leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party says that the government is trying to recriminalize cannabis before it becomes legal.

Dougald Lamont said that the legislation recently introduced will waste justice resources that would be better spent on dealing with more serious drugs, like meth and opiods, which he claims the government is "totally ignoring".

Lamont added that it has nothing to do with public safety, but rather with maximizing revenue for something that will be legal across the country.

The Progressive Conservative government has set the legal age to buy marijuana at 19, meaning that an 18-year-old with a joint, or plant, would face adult charges and a possible fine of up to one hundred thousand dollars or a year in jail.