Pubdate: Wed, 16 Dec 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: Mia Rabson
Page: A10

OTTAWA UNDECIDED WHERE MARIJUANA WILL BE SOLD, HEALTH MINISTER SAYS

OTTAWA - Canada's health minister says the federal government has made
no decision whether marijuana will be sold in provincial liquor stores
once it is legalized.

Jane Philpott told reporters after a cabinet meeting Tuesday
discussions to legalize, regulate and restrict marijuana in Canada are
in their infancy and it's premature to determine where marijuana might
eventually be sold.

"That level of detail is not yet forthcoming," Philpott said. "I'm
happy to see our provincial counterparts are looking at what they
think are good ideas, but that does not imply we are anywhere near
that stage of our discussions."

Manitoba and Ontario have said they are looking at expanding the
mandate of provincially run liquor stores to add marijuana to the
shelves, even though it is up to Ottawa to first decide how to
classify and regulate the drug.

Legalizing marijuana was a Liberal campaign promise.

Premier Greg Selinger included a plan to sell pot at Liquor Marts in
the speech from the throne in November.

"These are all highly addictive drugs, and we want to make sure
Manitobans get the best opportunity to be protected from them,"
Selinger said a few days after the Throne Speech. "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."

Monday, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne echoed that
sentiment.

"It makes sense to me that the liquor distribution mechanism that we
have in place - the LCBO - is very well-suited to putting in place the
social responsibility aspects that would need to be in place," she
said.

Philpott said the federal government hasn't even decided yet what age
someone will have to be to legally smoke marijuana, and drinking ages
are not uniform in Canada.

In Manitoba, the legal drinking age is 18. In Ontario it is
19.

Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose said this week she doesn't
think liquor stores are ideally suited for marijuana sales, saying
they haven't been "hugely successful" in keeping booze out of the
hands of kids.

Philpott said the No. 1 reason the Liberals want to regulate and
legalize marijuana is to restrict access for kids, who already find it
quite easy to buy marijuana illegally.

Philpott said thus far she has met with officials in her own
department to hear what they have to say on the matter, and has had
one meeting with Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Justice
Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould on the subject. Another meeting with the
three departments is planned early in 2016.
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