Pubdate: Wed, 06 Dec 2017
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Cheryl Chan
Page: 3

PUBLIC, PRIVATE OUTLETS TO SELL POT

Plans unveiled: Province announces legal age for buying recreational
marijuana to be set at 19

Recreational marijuana will be available for sale at private and
public retail outlets to people age 19 and older once the drug becomes
legal next year, said the B.C. government.

With legalization looming in July 2018, Solicitor-General Mike
Farnworth unveiled details Tuesday on how B.C. plans to deal with the
distribution and sale of non-medical pot - a move that would require
amending or introducing 18 bills in the legislature.

"There's a lot of work that needs to be done legislatively," said
Farnworth. "I expect a great deal of the legislative calendar to be
taken up by the legalization of cannabis in the spring. There will be
a lot of work between now and then to make sure we're ready because
it's a very tight timeline."

The federal government will be responsible for overseeing the
production of marijuana, quality control and testing while provinces
and territories will be in charge of distribution, sale and
enforcement.

The province will be the sole distributor of recreational marijuana
through the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch.

"Every other province is going through a provincial system," said
Farnworth. "It allows us, I believe, significant control which the
public has ... said is important."

Work is underway to hammer out the details of the distribution model,
he added, noting that recreational marijuana will require different
warehouses than what the LDB currently uses for liquor products.

Details on the public and private retail model, or whether marijuana
will be sold at liquor stores or pharmacies, will not be released
until late January to early February. It's also unclear how the new
regulations would affect existing dispensaries operating illegally or
in a grey zone across B.C.

Farnworth said municipalities will have a say on how the retail model
rolls out in their communities, acknowledging there won't be a
one-size-fits-all solution.

Cities like Vancouver and Victoria have already licensed some
marijuana dispensaries, while others, such as Richmond, have indicated
they don't want marijuana storefronts.

Vancouver Coun. Kerry Jang welcomed the government's announcement on
Tuesday.

A system where private marijuana stores are considered the same as
private liquor stores - with the province in charge of licensing and
inspection and the city responsible for providing a business licence -
would lower business fees for marijuana retailers, which pay up to
$30,000 a year for a licence, and lower costs for the city.

"If they adopt that model, which is what we're urging, they do the
enforcement and municipalities won't have a huge cost on this file,
aside from routine administration and business licences," said Jang.

Jang is also waiting to see whether the province would allow marijuana
to be sold at government liquor stores or whether it would build
stand-alone government pot shops.

Health authorities and the Union of B.C. Municipalities have been
vocal against co-location because of health and safety risks.

"We know that ease of availability of any kind of substance increases
the risk of addiction and overuse, whether it's pot or alcohol," said
Jang, who is also co-chair of a joint provincial-municipal committee
that issued a position paper on B.C.'s framework for cannabis regulation.

A public engagement report released by the government Tuesday found
the majority of people were opposed to selling recreational marijuana
in liquor stores, while a majority of respondents indicated support
for existing marijuana dispensaries.
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MAP posted-by: Matt