Pubdate: Sat, 31 Oct 2015
Source: Prince George Citizen (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Prince George Citizen
Contact:  http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/350
Author: Ian Mulgrew
Page: 6

ROBUST POT PLAN NEEDED

Start now: Legalization has broad support, and many issues need to be
addressed

In the wake of the Liberal tsunami, Premier Christy Clark sounded far
from enthusiastic about prime minister-to-be Justin Trudeau's plan to
legalize pot.

"It's a federal issue and we will work with the government in whatever
moves they make on this front," she said with nary a grin.

"It's a criminal code provision, the criminal code is a federal
responsibility, so if and when they make changes, we will work with
them to make sure that changes can be effective in B.C."

No Big Lebowski jokes, no giggle about being a Bob Marley fan;
instead, in the spirit of the outgoing prime minister, Clark sounded
like a pinched school mistress.

Amending the criminal code, as she well knows, is only one facet of
legalization - how cannabis should be regulated and sold, in what
forms and by whom, along with related issues such as advertising
rules, would still have to be determined.

And the provinces and territories, especially B.C., need to start
looking for answers.

American states that have legalized marijuana and its derivatives each
have their own schemes and each has experienced growing pains and a
learning curve.

Still, each also had a robust public debate to determine taxes, rules
about marketing, limiting purchases, impaired driving law changes =C2=85.

South of the border, as well, there are continuing talks between the
states and Washington about overarching national concerns such as
interstate transport, banking laws and investment controls.

That's similar to the way Prohibition ended in the last century, with
each of the states slowly embracing change and determining how to
handle a return to legal alcohol.

In Canada, if weed were legalized in a way similar to alcohol, the
provinces and territories would take the lead - constitutionally they
have sole responsibility for regulating the sale and distribution of
booze.

That route makes sense given the nature of cannabis
products.

If Ottawa wants a say in future non-criminal marijuana regulation,
Parliament has authority under the auspices of its health-and-food
responsibilities to get involved.

But the provinces and territories again would play a big role in how
recreational cannabis was rolled out in their bailiwicks.

It's hard to conceive of Ottawa taking that route - national
regulation would be risky, in my view, when Trudeau can hand the bag
to the provinces and territories, along with the headaches of
implementation, and ask them to send him a cheque.

Still, no matter the challenges or its final form, cannabis
legalization augurs new jobs and investment in the public and private
sectors.

Instead of her I-don't-have-to-deal-with-the-issue-yet stance, Clark
should lead and instigate a broad discussion on how the imminent
change should occur in B.C.

Send some bureaucrats to Washington and Colorado to bring back a
report on what they have learned from legalized dope: How much tax can
you collect? What was the impact on impaired driving?

Clark should recognize the potential new source of revenue, the broad
public support behind Trudeau's promise and the need to address
community issues such as the illegal dispensaries that have joined
grow-ops as a serious concern for municipalities.

Much education and a proper conversation are needed about how pot
should be regulated, manufactured, taxed and sold after the lifting of
the criminal sanction.

Trudeau recognized this in saying that while he plans to act "right
away," he couldn't provide a timeline.

"We don't yet know exactly what rate we're going to be taxing it, how
we're going to control it, or whether it will happen in the first
months, within the first year, or whether it's going to take a year or
two to kick in," he said.

Former attorneys general, medical officers of health, civic leaders,
academics - there is a long list of people who for a long time have
been advocating for an end to the prohibition and the violence it engende
rs.

Clark should finally get on the bandwagon.

What we don't need at this point is a Cheech-and-Chong skit featuring
a premier who doesn't realize change has come - or worse, who wants to
drag her heels.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt