Pubdate: Wed, 29 Mar 2017
Source: Telegram, The (CN NF)
Copyright: 2017 The Telegram
Contact:  http://www.thetelegram.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/303
Author: James McLeod
Page: A1

FEW DETAILS FROM PROVINCE ABOUT HOW LEGAL WEED WILL WORK

"I'd like to think there'll be consultation among the different
stakeholders and people that have an interest in this, but again,
that's a cabinet decision and a premier's decision." Justice Minister
Andrew Parsons

Federal MP Bill Blair confirmed to reporters Tuesday that Ottawa is
aiming to make marijuana legal for recreational use by July 2018,
although he was at pains to downplay any sense that it might be fun.

In nearly every question about marijuana, Blair talked about how the
government's legalization effort is all about "strict regulation" and
control in order to keep the drug out of the hands of kids, and the
profits out of the hands of organized crime.

As for the July 2018 date, Blair called that "an aspirational date"
and said, "We'll take as much time as it takes to get it right."

He said getting it right means keeping the drug out of the hands of
kids through strict regulation and control.

But a big part of this will fall into the provincial government's lap,
when it comes to regulating distribution, taxation and justice
enforcement.

And on that front, Justice Minister Andrew Parsons was pretty vague
when questioned by reporters.

Parsons said he is confident the provincial government will be ready
by 2018 or whenever the federal government gets it right, but for now,
the province has to wait and see how things unfold.

He said he has had lots of conversations about the issue - pretty much
weekly - but he wouldn't give any hints about how the Newfoundland and
Labrador legal marijuana regulations would look.

He also wouldn't commit to consulting the public about it, although he
vaguely said it's probably a good idea.

"I'd like to think there'll be consultation among the different
stakeholders and people that have an interest in this, but again,
that's a cabinet decision and a premier's decision," he said.

"So I'm just one part of that." Later in the day, when The Telegram
caught up with Premier Dwight Ball, he was similarly noncommittal
about the marijuana issue.

"We've been focused, really, on our budget, on our throne speech,"
Ball said.

"Right now we have not discussed what it would look like, but
obviously there would always be room for public consultation and
discussion in the decisions that we make."
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MAP posted-by: Matt