Pubdate: Wed, 29 Mar 2017 Source: Record, The (CN QU) Copyright: 2017 The Sherbrooke Record Contact: http://www.sherbrookerecord.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3194 Author: Mike McDevitt Page: 6 TAKING THE HIGH ROAD A large number of Canadians let out a cough of relief this week as the Trudeau government announced that it will finally reveal its intentions with regard to legalization of the recreational use of marijuana within the next few weeks that will come into effect on July 1, 2018 (Cannabis Day?). Although final details of the plan have yet to be released, informed sources are saying that the Bill will reflect the recommendations of a Parliamentary committee headed by former Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair and will allow (force?) provincial governments to set up the kind of regimes they want in order to comply with the law. According to the proposed Bill, the federal government will assume the responsibility of assuring the quality of the substances available for sale and to license producers. In turn, provinces will have the right to decide how marijuana is distributed and sold and to set prices, much as they now do now for the sale of alcohol. Also similar to alcohol, the law will permit hobbyist horticulturalists to grow up to four plants per household for personal use and although Ottawa will set the federal legal age limit for cannabis enjoyment at 18, provinces will have the right to set their own limits as they see fit. Provincial governments will now have slightly over a year to decide how distribution will take place, although the Commission recommended the creation of specialized shops. Other suggestions include using current alcohol distribution networks (SAQ, LCBO etc.) or a similar set-up. The Bill represents the culmination of a long-standing debate within Canadian society over the psychotropic weed that began in earnest following recommendations by the Commission of Inquiry into the Non-medical Use of Drugs (Le Dain Commission) which evaluated the situation between 1969 and 1972. These recommendations were ignored by the first Prime Minister Trudeau only to be fulfilled by the former's younger, hipper son a mere 45 years later. Although one might expect Canadian stoners to get up and dance (if they can get up at all) and dance at the news, but it remains to be seen just how badly government bureaucracy and corporate greed will put a damper on their smoldering anticipation. Given that the government's stated intention for the law is to assure the health and safety of consumers, to prevent pot's availability to children, and to undercut the financing of organized crime, the goal of making recreational consumers happy is low on its list of priorities. Nevertheless, the law does represent the acceptance by the general population of marijuana legalization, although clearly, restrictions will remain in place to ensure government control. The news comes as a perceived mixed blessing to provincial governments who stand to reap significant revenue from taxation and, depending on how they choose to sell the stuff, profits from sales. But it also transfers responsibility for enforcement onto provincial backs and leaves the provinces to deal with any social or legal complications that arise from the new regime. Private producers will be federally licensed and stand to reap huge profits from a well-established consumer base but provincial governments will have to be careful with regards to pricing as they will want to earn as much as possible from taxes without leaving the door open to the also well-established illegal networks that have been handling sales and distribution for the last half-century. When inter-provincial competition is factored in, finding the appropriate price for pot will be a delicate balancing act. Charge too much and people will continue to rely on the existing sources. Charge too little and cash-starved governments will lose out on a potential cash cow. Although most medical specialists agree that marijuana consumption is less harmful to individuals than either alcohol or tobacco, there are health concerns associated with its use. It can clearly have a deleterious effect on users; lungs, decades of government inaction in terms of research have left us sadly short of clinical information on the benefits or harms associated with use of the drug, there are studies that indicate some of the substance's compounds have been shown to offer relief for many relatively common ailments, including fibromyalgia and seizures. This has led to an almost global acceptance of its legalization for medicinal purposes. Anecdotal evidence suggests that pot is also much less likely to play a role in violence and other social ills than is alcohol. An old story illustrates this belief by saying that while a drunk driver is likely to speed through a stop sign; a stoner will wait for it to turn green. Jocularity aside, governments are concerned about the drug's effect on driving ability and as yet, no 'legal limit' has been established nor is current technology capable of determining at what point a driver is impaired. In addition, marijuana traces can remain in the blood for several months, making it difficult to be certain is a driver smoked his last joint a month ago, or within the last five minutes. Setting age limits will also pose a problem for provinces, particularly in the face of recent medical evidence that cannabis can interfere with brain development in the final stages of adolescence, and may be a contributing factor in the triggering of schizophrenia, leading some experts to recommend 25 as the preferred limit. Setting the limit that high is likely to leave the door open to criminal distribution and to border hopping between provinces if the latter leave too large a gap between their provincial standards. Canada has extensive experience in dealing with contraband but much less so in making contraband legal, so it is to be hoped that the government has learned from the experiences of American states like Colorado and Oregon, which rook considerably less time than cautious Canadians in following through with the project. Nevertheless, there will be a relatively steep learning curve. At the moment, Canadians have yet to learn how the legalization of pot will be implemented in their jurisdiction and, if marijuana stock prices are any indication, uncertainty still holds sway in the business community as well. Meanwhile, snack stocks are reaching unprecedented highs. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt