Pubdate: Thu, 25 Aug 2016
Source: Peterborough Examiner, The (CN ON)
Page: A4
Copyright: 2016 Peterborough Examiner
Contact: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/letters
Website: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2616
Author: David Goyette
Note: David Goyette is a writer, political advisor and communications 
consultant.

WILL PETERBOROUGH SHARE IN MARIJUANA REVENUES?

On April 20, 2016, Canadian Minister of Health Jane Philpott told a 
special session of the UN General Assembly in New York that Canada 
would introduce legislation in the spring of 2017 to legalize the use 
of marijuana. The date of her announcement was 4/20 - the day that 
has become synonymous with international cannabis advocacy. This 4/20 
was actually the afternoon time that a group of adventurous 1970's 
California high school students would meet to fire up, and the 
nomenclature stuck.

Scarborough Southwest MP and former Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair 
has been tapped to head the file, having previously supported a 
public health approach to legalization. As announced during last 
fall's election campaign, a new task force on marijuana legalization 
and regulation headed by Anne McLellan will consult extensively with 
the provinces, territories, health authorities and law enforcement.

What about cities like Peterborough? At last week's annual conference 
of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, (AMO) a special 
session was held on the potential impact of legalized marijuana. A 
month earlier, AMO president Gary McNamara, the mayor of Tecumseh, 
had made plain his view that cities should share in the new marijuana 
revenue and taxes that will soon be arriving in government coffers. 
Although Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has indicated that revenue is 
not a reason for the legalization, it certainly will be a factor.

In January, CIBC World Markets reported that Canadian governments 
could reap as much as $5 billion annually from the sale of legal 
marijuana. Colorado, which is the first U.S. state to legalize 
marijuana for recreational use, generated US $700 million in sales in 
2014 and is estimating about US $1 billion this year. What is certain 
is that legalized marijuana will create new revenues for government. 
What is uncertain is whether cities such as ours will share in the 
bounty. Without doubt, we will incur some of the costs.

Depending on the distribution model chosen in Ontario, legalization 
could have a significant regulatory impact on municipal 
responsibilities in at least four areas.

First, although the number of marijuana-related arrests will 
decrease, new law enforcement resources may be required in the short 
term for the policing and enforcement of new laws and regulations, 
including this month's federal decision to permit the growing of 
medical marijuana at home.

Second, public education and awareness campaigns focused on marijuana 
risks such as driving will likely become the responsibility of local 
public health units. Similarly, school boards can be expected to 
offer new youth education and service programs.

Third, there may be zoning regulation required for the definition and 
operation of new land uses, as well as Official Plan policies 
relating to the location and distance separation of publicly 
accessible marijuana businesses.

Fourth, should private distribution channels be permitted outside of 
the LCBO network, there may be new licensing requirements for the 
operation and performance of marijuana dispensaries or retail outlets.

The point is that the city will have additional costs and those costs 
need to be covered by or shared with the senior governments whose 
actions create them.

Four Peterborough city councillors attended last week's AMO 
conference - Dean Pappas, Don Vassiliadis, Lesley Parnell and Keith 
Riel - a marked improvement over last year when no Peterborough 
councillors attended. Here's hoping that they will now make the case 
that cities like ours should be parties to the change, inviting the 
new federal Task Force to meet with municipal staff, councillors and 
the community; and that they will exercise some political muscle so 
that we can secure funding for the new marijuana costs that will 
undoubtedly come our way.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom