Pubdate: Wed, 10 Feb 2016
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2016 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Page: A12

LEGAL POT MEANS MORE LAW, NOT LESS

The Canadian Police Association made a reasonable request this week
when it asked the Trudeau government to remind everyone that
recreational marijuana is still an illegal substance. For more than a
year, so-called marijuana "dispensaries" have been popping up in
cities across the country, selling pot and pot-filled products in
open violation of the Criminal Code. The pace of new openings has only
increased since the election of the Liberals, who promised to legalize
marijuana.

Police say these days some Canadians are shocked to learn that it is
actually illegal to buy and sell pot recreationally. And it's no
wonder. Canada's laws have been evolving rapidly since 2000, when the
Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that marijuana must be available to
people who need it for medical purposes. Today, it is legal for people
with a medical prescription to order pot from federally authorized
suppliers, who deliver it in the mail. But it is still against the law
to buy, sell, grow or use it for fun and games.

At the same time, Colorado, Oregon, Alaska and Washington states have
legalized recreational marijuana use, altering the drug culture
landscape in the United States and, by proximal osmosis, in Canada.
Canadian police themselves have called for the decriminalization of
pot possession within the past year, as they are fed up pushing such a
minor offence through the justice system. And Justin Trudeau? He says
he smoked the stuff while serving in Parliament - he confessed to a
crime, basically - and Canadians made him Prime Minister.

So, yes, it's confusing out there. The ground has been shifting for 16
years. We are on the cusp of legalization, and people who see a dollar
to be made are impatient. The pot market will be hugely lucrative, and
they want to get a foot in the door.

Which is why Ottawa ought to issue a forceful reminder for Canadians
to wait until the law is changed before acting. Pot is going to be
legalized, and it should be - but the new regime will not be a free-
for- all. As with alcohol and cigarettes, that means regulation to
keep pot out of the hands of minors, taxation and public education
campaigns to discourage use.

Ottawa has to hurry up and come up with a plan for legalization. It
also has to cool those who think legalization means the absence of
law. Canada's pot rules should be anything but.
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MAP posted-by: Matt