Pubdate: Sun, 17 Jan 2016
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.ottawasun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.ottawasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Shawn Jeffords
Page: 8

LCBO JUST MELLOWING OUT

Booze chain waits for marijuana to be legalized

TORONTO - Give them the green light.

The union that represents LCBO workers wants the retailer to start
studying how it could sell marijuana.

Right now, the LCBO says it won't start researching marijuana sales
until the drug is actually legalized.

Despite public musings from several prominent politicians - including
Premier Kathleen Wynne - that its stores would be the ideal place to
sell weed, the LCBO has no data on whether that would be a good idea.

In December, Postmedia Network made a Freedom of Information request
seeking access to documents on any studies done by the LCBO on
marijuana sales at its stores. The agency says no documents exist and
confirmed this week no studies have been done.

LCBO spokesman Christine Bujold said despite that, the agency is
monitoring the situation carefully.

In addition to legalization at the federal level, Bujold said the LCBO
would need specific instructions from the province to launch a study.

"Non-medical marijuana is not currently legally sold and it would be
up to the federal authorities to decriminalize recreational
marijuana," she said. "Should that occur LCBO would take direction
from the provincial government as to any role for LCBO in the
retailing of marijuana."

OPSEU President Warren "Smokey" Thomas was the first to float the idea
of marijuana sales at the LCBO in November.

This week, he said politicians are "remiss" if they don't give the
LCBO the goahead to study what shape that could take.
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MAP posted-by: Matt