Pubdate: Thu, 06 Apr 2017
Source: Record, The (Kitchener, CN ON)
Copyright: 2017 Metroland Media Group Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.therecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/225
Author: Andy Blatchford
Page: A4

PREPARING FOR POT SALES

New internal trade deal tills soil for cross-Canada regulation

Governments across Canada will unveil an internal-trade agreement
Friday designed to not only knock down domestic business barriers, but
also lay the groundwork for talks to eventually establish a
cross-country marijuana market.

Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains says the long-awaited
deal, meant to boost economic growth, will also establish a clear
process to help provinces and territories regulate the trade of
recreational pot.

Those discussions will come, of course, once the federal government
legalizes marijuana with legislation that government insiders have
said would be introduced next week.

Once Ottawa moves forward with legalization, the Canada Free Trade
Agreement will offer a transparent mechanism to help provinces and
territories discuss standards that will include "making sure that
there's more choice and better price points," said Bains.

When it comes to pot legalization, Bains said, the government's
overarching objectives remain protecting young Canadians and getting
money out of the hands of criminals.

The reference to marijuana is tucked into an internal-trade deal that
is expected to ease regulations across provinces, open up billions in
new procurement opportunities and set stiffer enforcement rules for
noncompliance.

It's due to come into effect July 1 to coincide with Canada's 150th
birthday.

Governments in Canada expect the deal to create jobs and boost
domestic trade, which already accounts for $385 billion in annual
activity and makes up 20 per cent of Canada's gross domestic product.

"We recognize that we need to all come together, all hands on deck, in
order to strengthen our economic outlook going forward," Bains said of
a deal he believes will also help Canada in its international talks on
trade and in attracting foreign investment.

The agreement is drawn up in such a way that it allows for the
inclusion of new sectors, such as recreational marijuana.

The deal automatically covers almost every economic area, while
exceptions are clearly identified.

Had pot not been mentioned in the document, there was a risk it could
have become entangled in the same type of regulatory patchwork that
has created barriers to the inter-provincial movements of alcohol in
Canada for decades.

"We are tackling that issue ... but it's been 50 to 100 years of
debate across Canada in ways to free up the flow of alcohol," said
Ontario Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid, who has chaired the
negotiations.

"We can avoid that when new products like cannabis come onto the
market, if we get it right at the beginning."

On alcohol, the negotiations did not produce an agreement to
streamline standards for booze across Canada. The governments,
however, agreed to establish a working group to continue discussions
about how best to liberalize alcohol trade.
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MAP posted-by: Matt