Pubdate: Wed, 21 Oct 2015
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2015 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Mike Hager
Page: S1

STOREFRONT POT SALES STILL UP IN THE AIR AFTER ELECTION

One of the incoming Liberal government's more high-profile campaign
planks is its plan to legalize recreational marijuana use, which
raises the spectre that Vancouver's ubiquitous - and, at least for
now, illegal - pot shops could soon bloom across the country.

But long-time MP and recent Liberal health critic Hedy Fry said any
move to allow storefront sales of cannabis - whether at retail shops
or pharmacies, or both - would need approval from an upcoming task
force comprising municipal, provincial and federal politicians, law
enforcement, and public health and addiction experts.

The outgoing Conservative government was vehemently opposed to both
medical and recreational use of pot, and only created the new federal
mail-order system for cannabis patients at the beginning of last year
after losses in the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mr. Trudeau, the prime-minister-designate, has not said precisely what
marijuana legalization will look like under the new Liberal government
or how it will be taxed. His costed platform did not include revenue
from marijuana taxes.

One thing is clear, said Ms. Fry, who is also a medical doctor: The
incoming Liberal government will use "evidence-based policy-making" to
guide its marijuana policies, including research that better explains
when, why and how it should be prescribed as a medical drug.

"Industry could do some of the work, but I think, always, we've had
government funding good research that would come about with good
clinical guidelines [for use of the drug]," Ms. Fry said.

Canadian physicians are the gatekeepers to the current medical
cannabis regime, but most resist prescribing the drug because of a
dearth of clinical evidence and fears over improper dosing.

About two dozen commercial producers are now licensed under the new
federal system. Presumably, those same producers could be first in
line to enter a legalized recreational market. Three commercial
growers that are publicly traded saw their stock prices shoot up
significantly as the markets opened on Tuesday, the morning after the
election.

Bruce Linton, chief executive officer of Canopy Growth Corp., one of
the largest licensed growers, said he could envision a hybrid
regulatory system in which his brand, Tweed, sells recreational pot
through a shop akin to a government-run liquor store, and Bedrocan,
the other owned by Canopy Growth, continues mailing medicine directly
to patients.

Adding to the complexity is an ongoing Federal Court case involving a
group of patients fighting for the right to continue growing marijuana
at home, which was banned under the new federal system. The Liberals
have not said whether they would attempt to maintain the ban on home
growing, but Ms. Fry said continuing to fight such court cases is a
waste of public money.

In Vancouver, more than 100 illegal marijuana dispensaries have opened
in recent years. The city didn't shut them down, but responded by
introducing new rules to hand out business licences. Victoria is
considering similar measures.

The federal government has estimated the number of medical marijuana
users in Canada could swell to as many as 450,000 people in the next
decade. Analysts have estimated the regulation and taxation of
recreational sales could bring in anywhere from $1-billion to
$6-billion in government revenue.

Chuck Rifici, who volunteers as the federal Liberal Party's chief
financial officer and founded Tweed before resigning last year, said,
"Everything's potentially on the table," adding he expects the
Liberals to eventually allow retail sales in some form.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt