Pubdate: Fri, 20 Nov 2015
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2015 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/send_a_letter
Website: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Bartley Kives
Page: A9

SELINGER WANTS MARIJUANA SOLD THROUGH MLL

Says 'Highly Addictive' Drug Should Be Government-Controlled

PREMIER Greg Selinger says cannabis products are "highly addictive 
drugs" that ought to be sold primarily through Manitoba Liquor & 
Lotteries stores once Ottawa legalizes marijuana.

One day after MLL declared it is considering all options for cannabis 
sales - private retail stores, government outlets or a combination of 
both - Manitoba's premier said he'd prefer to see marijuana sold much 
like alcohol is sold in this province.

"These are all highly addictive drugs and we want to make sure 
Manitobans get the best opportunity to be protected from them," 
Selinger said Thursday at the legislative building.

"At the retail level, we would like to do it the way we're doing 
liquor in Manitoba right now, to make sure it's safe."

The Trudeau government is expected to legalize cannabis products in 
the next two years. Pending the specifics of the legislation, 
Manitoba plans to regulate marijuana through its Liquor & Gaming 
Authority and have MLL play some role in cannabis distribution and sales.

On Wednesday, MLL CEO John Stinson said that role won't be determined 
until Ottawa provides direction, consultations are conducted and 
several Canadian provinces study the cannabis retail experience in 
Colorado, Washington and Oregon, the first three U.S. states to 
legalize recreational marijuana.

Selinger, however, stated he clearly prefers a primarily 
public-retail model, where a Crown corporation handles most marijuana sales.

"We'd like to do it under the system we have, which is a publicly 
offered service, with some expectations in small communities where 
there's no provisions," Selinger said.

"We have a very strong training program for the employees in our 
liquor retails stores and they offer a high quality of service. And 
any product they offer, they have to know the risks of it, and if 
there's going to be additional products offered there, we would 
expect them to be able to make the public aware of any risks involved in it."

In U.S. states where cannabis sales are legal, recreational-marijuana 
dispensaries employ "budtenders" who advise consumers on the relative 
merits of various strains of marijuana, which possess different 
concentrations of THC, the chemical that provides most of the "high" 
in marijuana, and cannabidiol, which acts more as a calming agent.

Selinger said staff at Manitoba cannabis retailers will be trained 
but will not smoke marijuana, insisting they can perform their roles 
"without consuming the products."

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation suggested the premier hasn't given 
cannabis sales due consideration.

"You have to make it safe, but to just jerk your knee and assume only 
a unionized, government employee is equipped to handle this?" asked 
Todd MacKay, the foundation's prairie director.

Manitoba's opposition parties, however, don't have a position on 
whether cannabis retail sales should be run by the government or the 
private sector.

"We're waiting for direction from the federal government on this 
issue and we are consulting Manitobans," Progressive Conservative 
spokesman Ross Romaniuk said in a statement.

"We will wait for guidelines from the federal government, but 
regarding retail options, nothing is off the table," Liberal Leader 
Rana Bokhari said in a statement.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom