Pubdate: Fri, 28 Sep 2012
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2012 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Stephen Quinn

WHAT IF THE MAYOR'S MARIJUANA PIPE DREAM CAME TRUE?

It was news Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was not expecting. One 
year earlier, in September, 2012, he had supported a resolution at 
the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Victoria calling on 
the federal government to study the decriminalization, regulation, 
and taxation of marijuana. He did not expect it to go anywhere.

He had, in the past, also supported resolutions calling on the 
federal government to provide financing for transit and social 
housing, and to reverse its decision on the Kitsilano Coast Guard 
station. All of those had met with stony silence. He had learned not 
to hold his breath.

Now, the letter he held in his hand, a letter from the Prime 
Minister's Office, quoted his own words back to him: "This is not a 
partisan issue. Widespread access to marijuana for our youth, 
grow-ops that provide funds for organized crime, and significant 
costs to taxpayers for enforcement are all compelling reasons to 
re-examine our failed approach to prohibition."

"When did I even say that?" he thought. Right. It was the Stop the 
Violence Campaign six months earlier.

The letter went on: The Stephen Harper government, would, at its 
first opportunity, introduce legislation to amend the Criminal Code 
of Canada to reclassify marijuana as a controlled, rather than an 
illicit substance, like alcohol.

Forget about a study.

Possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use would no 
longer be against the law.

The federal government was leap-frogging over the provinces and 
giving municipalities exactly what they had asked for: not just an 
end to the prohibition of marijuana but also the ability to regulate 
its production, distribution and sale, and the means to reap the 
rewards in tax revenue.

Was it some kind of prank? A hoax? Two phone calls to Ottawa 
confirmed it was not.

The Prime Minister would rise in the House of Commons and declare 
that he was acting on the wishes of Canada's municipal leaders in 
taking this bold step.

Then what?

How long would B.C.'s cities and towns have to act on the 
legislation? To work out the details of who would grow the weed, how 
it would be warehoused, and who would sell it?

How would the potency be determined? In what form and quantity would 
it be sold? Would it be branded? Would the city need to lease retail 
space? What would the pot cost and what portion of that would be tax? 
What would be the minimum age?

The mayor had always expected those details would be left to the province.

He buzzed for city manager Penny Ballem.

"Well, obviously we can't let people smoke it," she said, as she 
pushed open the door to the mayor's wood-paneled office. She had 
received the same letter.

"At least, not in public."

"I thought that was kind of the point," the mayor said as he plugged 
in the kettle.

"Come on. Get real, Gregor. I'm a doctor. We've banned cigarettes 
from every corner of this city. I'll be damned if I'm going to let a 
bunch of potheads stink up my boot camp. Never mind the condo owners."

"Don't they have those vaporizer things now?" Mr. Robertson asked. "No smoke."

Ms. Ballem went on: "And the minimum age has to be 21."

"But, that feels so, so ... American," Mr. Robertson replied.

"Yeah, well, suck it up, princess," she responded. "I say we control 
the whole thing. From planting to Pringles. Heh, I like that. It's 
the only way we can keep the THC levels down. And it can't be cheap. 
We take over the conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park, you know, as a 
demonstration project. Get those greenhouses at Sunset back on line."

The mayor took a deep breath. "But if we keep the THC levels down, 
and the price up, doesn't that leave an opening for a black market? 
You know, people who can offer higher potency stuff at a better 
price? This was supposed to be about taking the profit out of the 
hands of gangs."

"Yeah, well, you should have thought of that before you raised your 
hand in Victoria last year. You think this is going to make gangs go 
away? You're so cute."

Mr. Robertson poured boiling water from the kettle into a teapot.

"Want some red rooibos?" he asked. "It's Safari Spice."

"Uh, no. Thanks. Needless to say, the border's going to be a 
nightmare. I mean it might have been different if I-502 had passed. 
But even people in Washington State had the good sense to see this 
was a minefield."

"But what if we just say, hey, grow as much as you like," the mayor 
offered. "Trade it with your friends. Give it away. You know, flood 
the market?"

"Yeah, right. And where's the profit in that?"
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom