Senate recommended allowing provinces to decide whether to allow cannabis growing at home.

The Manitoba government is holding firm on its refusal to allow people to grow their own marijuana when it becomes legal, despite the federal government saying homegrowing should be allowed.

The province maintains that regulations for growing cannabis at home fall within its jurisdiction.

Trudeau government takes on provinces over right to ban home cultivation of marijuana.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is disrespecting "the spirit of federalism" by refusing to affirm the provinces' right to ban people from growing their own pot, says Quebec's Canada relations minister. 

The federal government on Wednesday rejected several Senate changes to its cannabis legalization bill, setting the stage for a possible showdown between the Senate and the House of Commons.

Quebec, Manitoba and Nunavut all want to forbid residents from growing recreational marijuana at home once cannabis is legalized federally.

Two Manitoba companies have joined forces to create a new cannabis beer CNW-Delta 9 Cannabis Inc.

With the prospect of recreational use of marijuana becoming legal, companies are eagerly seeking new opportunities in a basically brand new market, and one potentially worth billions of dollars

Now two companies in the western prairie province of Manitoba have teamed up to create something unique.

A craft brewer and a medical-marijuana grower have been working together to create a hemp lager which has just been released into the Manitoba market.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau believes Canadians should be allowed to grow their own cannabis, but he must now decide whether he wants to enter into a fight with the Senate to make it happen across the country.

Bill C-45, which was adopted by the Senate with 46 amendments on Thursday, allows adult Canadians to grow up to four plants of cannabis in their homes to meet their personal needs.

However, Manitoba and Quebec have decided to prohibit home cultivation as part of their respective plans to legislate the use of cannabis on their territories. With that in mind, the Senate has adopted an amendment that clearly lays out the right of provinces to prohibit home cultivation.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says he will consider closing a loophole that allows people to eat marijuana-infused brownies and other homemade edibles in public places when cannabis is federally legalized this year.

But he says enforcing a ban — such as one many other provinces are already planning — could be difficult.

"We talked with the RCMP and other policing authorities and there were concerns about how enforceable is it to have someone in a playground on the weekend, eating a cookie, and do you check to see if it's got cannabis or do you not? And how much does this cost, and all those questions," Pallister said Thursday. 

"This is a moving target in some respects. We're going to try to get the rules as best we can to protect people."

No one would accuse the Pallister government of being soft on drugs. It has repeatedly lobbied its federal counterpart to push back the deadline for the upcoming legalization of marijuana. It has also found reasons to reject recommendations to establish safe-consumption sites in Winnipeg for the city’s growing number of people addicted to harder drugs, including opiates.

But like it or not — and, philosophically, the Pallister government clearly does not — cannabis will soon be legal, likely by the end of this summer or early autumn.

A Senate committee has passed more than two dozen amendments to the federal government’s cannabis legalization bill, including one that would allow provinces and territories to ban home-grown marijuana.

But the social affairs committee has refused to accept an amendment that would have prohibited home cultivation outright.

Bill C-45 would allow individuals to grow up to five plants in a single dwelling.

But Quebec and Manitoba have decided to prohibit home cultivation, setting up future legal challenges in which Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has said the federal legislation would prevail.

The City of Winkler is enacting a public smoking ban that includes vaping and marijuana and includes restaurant patios.

The by-law bans smoking or vaping in any outdoor seating area and indoor public places, including within 15 meters outside of any doorway or window of a municipal public building. Smoking is also banned within the boundaries of the Winkler Aquatic Centre.

However, Cannabis is also not permitted in any indoor or outdoor public space in Winkler, "so we're ready when Cannabis becomes legal," Mayor Martin Harder says.

He notes a specific Cannabis by-law will be created in the future as well, "a similar guide to what we have for alcohol consumption... it's not for public consumption, it's for private homes."

This fall, Winkler will vote on whether to allow or ban marijuana retail stores in the city.

While the federal government will make the consumption of cannabis legal this July, the public has the option of holding a plebiscite on retail sale within their communities.

However, rather than allowing businesses to open up shop only to be kicked out as a result of a vote a few months later, Winkler Mayor Martin Harder says they'd like to hear the public's opinion first.

"It isn't fair... we don't want someone to come under false pretense and establish a store... and lose your investments. We want to make sure it's clear, the investors will understand what the situation is here."

The vote will take place in conjunction with Election Day on October 24, 2018.

Manitoba politicians can expect new conflict of interest rules to be introduced in the fall.

In a statement, Progressive Conservative House leader Cliff Cullen acknowledged a recent report by the province's conflict of interest commissioner, who called Manitoba's current legislation perhaps the "weakest in the country."

"We plan to establish an all-party committee to provide input on this matter as it impacts all MLAs, with legislation to follow after the next speech from the throne. This all-party task force will lead revised legislation," Cullen wrote.

The Tories defeated a private members bill on Thursday authored by Independent Assiniboia MLA Steven Fletcher.