Sarnia-Lambton's Conservative MP is apologizing to anyone who may have been offended by comments she made recently about Mexican immigrants.
During a debate about legalizing marijuana in the House of Commons last week, Marilyn Gladu was accused of suggesting that many coming to Canada are involved in the illegal drug trade.
Gladu says she was taking issue with the Liberal government removing a visa requirement that was put in place when 9,000 Mexicans were coming into Canada each year.
She says many had to be deported after six months at a cost of $15,000 per person because they were involved in criminal activity.
"The comment that I made was just that with this marijuana bill going forward that the Kathleen Wynne model was not going to get rid of organized crime," says Gladu. "To make matters worse, the visa requirement had been dropped and there may be Mexicans that want to get involved in that drug trade. I wasn't trying to suggest, in any way, that Mexicans are more likely than anyone else in the world to be involved in the drug trade."
Gladu maintains legalizing pot would be beneficial to the "cannabis black market."
She claims organized crime in Colorado has actually increased because they allow people to grow pot at home.
Bill C-45 was passed in the Senate on Tuesday night, paving the way for recreational marijuana to be legalized in Canada later this year.