Pubdate: Wed, 06 Dec 2017
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Cheryl Chan
Page: A2

B.C. TO ALLOW PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SALE OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA

Legal age set at 19, but no word on pot being sold in liquor stores,
pharmacies

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, sales 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
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 are 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. "We don't want to see that (co-location), certainly not at
the outset, but maybe in the future, once the research is clear as to
the risks."

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

Kirk Tousaw, a lawyer specializing in cannabis cases, said the
province should transition the about 300 illegal dispensaries
currently operating in the province to legal operations.

"There's not much in negatives being caused by these establishments,"
he said.

"There's a tremendous amount of talent in B.C. and we need to harness
that, and we need to acknowledge that they are pioneers, not criminals."

Tousaw said the province should also continue to advocate for
small-scale craft production to be included in the federal legal mix,
so micro-producers in B.C. can flourish and perhaps lead to a thriving
marijuana-tourism industry, similar to the wine industry, where
visitors can have a "vineyard experience" at cannabis farms.

Tuesday's announcement came after a consultation process involving
close to 50,000 British Columbians and submissions from 141 local
governments, First Nations groups and other stakeholders.

Farnworth said marijuana legalization isn't going to be the lucrative
windfall many people expect it to be - at least not immediately, as
there are plenty of upfront costs the government will have to deal
with.

"I have no doubt there will be revenue in the middle to long term, but
initially, our focus is going to be on education, enforcement, and on
ensuring the necessary infrastructure for the legalization of cannabis
to proceed smoothly in B.C. is the priority," said Farnworth.
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MAP posted-by: Matt