Pubdate: Sun, 13 Dec 2015 Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2015 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.ottawasun.com/letter-to-editor Website: http://www.ottawasun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329 Page: 10 COULD MAIL ORDER WEED SAVE CANADA POST? Mail order weed for recreational tokers could end up fulfilling two campaign promises - legalizing pot and saving Canada Post. Tweed president Mark Zekulin believes the feds could act "very quickly" once legislation is passed, to simply expand the existing delivery-by-mail system for medical buyers. "It's accessible to every part of the country, it's delivered in a safe and secure manner. The first step is simply to expand that system," said Zekulin. Mail order model Building off existing model, with pot tracked from "seed-to-sale" and delivered in child-proof, vacuum-sealed, discrete packaging. "It allows you to really get out and launch a system across the country, but in a rather cautious manner that is building upon what exists and what has proven to be successful on the medical side. By doing that, it buys you time to gather data, to understand the challenges and the successes." - - Mark Zekulin, Tweed LCBO model With a massive infrastructure already in place for booze, some believe the liquor control system is best-equipped to handle pot, with OPSEU chief Warren Thomas joining a chorus that already includes Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger, leading The Toronto Star to quip: "LCBO should have a pot monopoly, too." "The LCBO has a solid track record of responsibly selling alcohol and would bring the same service standard to marijuana... including minimum age limits, a ban on marketing, and a plan to prevent cannabis-impaired driving. If we let industry write the rules, we won't make any headway in reducing the social harm from marijuana." - - Warren "Smokey" Thomas, OPSEU B.C. model Ottawa Medical Dispensary owners Shaddy Abboud and Franco Vigile say they are "keeping a close eye on legalities" and adopting measures similar to the bylaws that govern Vancouver pot shops. Police in B.C. generally take a hands-off approach, unless there is a complaint from the community, though raids are increasing in frequency. Critics of this model say some shops are still fed by the black market, and are therefore still feeding organized crime. "We do not permit people to sell legal or illegal liquor or prescription medicine on a street corner and similarly, we cannot permit an illegal substance to be sold in a similar manner, particularly when people have complained about it. There is no legal mechanism in Canada which allows for medicinal marijuana dispensaries or compassion clubs to sell or gift to the public." - - Supt. Mark Fisher, Nanaimo RCMP Health clinic model Medical patients and recreational clients would register for a membership, and all sales would be tracked per user. Onsite counselling and outreach would be available, though even advocates of this approach acknowledge the expense would cut into the bottom line, which could inflate the price if the product and drive consumers back to the black market. "I'd like to see them be legitimate health clinics - and not just 'Health and Happiness Centre' - having staff who are not just aware of the effects of cannabis, but who are doing community health research to see what the impact of the proliferation of cannabis will be." - - Ryan Levis, Greater Ottawa Health Advocacy Centre Cannabis Control Board model Provinces may opt to establish an independent agency responsible solely for cannabis. The product would come only from one of the country's licensed producers, with 26 growers currently regulated by Health Canada. Staff would be trained in a similar manner to the liquor control industry, and it remains a possibility clients would have to register for a membership in order to purchase. Colorado model The government issues licenses to private enterprise, as is the case in Colorado, where aggressive marketing (including THC-laced soda, chocolate and candy) has led to sky-high profits. The majority of the Canadian public already supporting legalization may not be on board with handing industry the keys to the Cadillac. "We've seen out of Colorado the evidence that supports the need to move prudently," said Zekulin. "Perhaps that day will come, but I would be very surprised if that day was the next step." Licensed producers undergo rigorous testing, and every bud is tracked. "The more you distribute among a broader number of people, the harder it is to do that, and of course you end up with the NIMBY attitude." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom