Activists argue that without amnesty, many from marginalized communities will continue to feel the effects of outdated laws

As Canada prepares to legalize marijuana this summer, politicians are facing growing calls to grant a blanket amnesty for people convicted under the existing drug laws – many of whom belong to marginalized groups.

Since the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, was elected in 2015 on a manifesto promise to legalize cannabis, more than 15,000 people have been charged over marijuana-related offences – joining close to 500,000 Canadians with marijuana convictions on their criminal record.

Activists argue that without an amnesty, hundreds of thousands of people will continue to feel the effects of outdated laws whose enforcement has had a disproportionate impact on racial minorities and the poor.

Last week, the Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty launched a petition asking the government to consider pardons for possession charges. The group hopes to gain at least 5,000 signatures by the end of May.

Annamaria Enenajor, a Toronto-based lawyer and director of the campaign, said the sprawling legislation tabled by the government makes no mention of existing marijuana convictions, which can have long-lasting effects.

A possession charge can show up in job applications and can affect approval for government housing, volunteer opportunities or scholarships, said Enenajor.

“The criminalization of cannabis is so drastic and disproportionate to people’s lives.”

Meanwhile, numerous studies have shown that Canada’s current statutes on drug possession are not equitably applied. “Drug laws are enforced by the police – and we know that the police are not immune from racism and discrimination,” said Akwasi Owusu-Bempah of the University of Toronto.

Robyn Maynard, author of Policing Black Lives, said: “White and black communities use cannabis and other drugs at similar rates, but black communities have been disproportionately targeted for police stops, cannabis arrests and incarceration.”

The discrimination manifests in pre-trial detention and sentencing disparities: in Canada, the black community is incarcerated at a rate three times higher than the general population, she said.