Pubdate: Mon, 11 Jul 2016
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Antonella Artuso
Page: 6

PACKAGE POT LIKE CIGARETTES: CANCER SOCIETY

Object would be to discourage use by young people

The federal government's task force on marijuana should look to
restrictions for cigarettes when considering how legal pot should be
packaged, the Canadian Cancer Society's Rob Cunningham says.

The federal government has restricted who and what can appear on
tobacco packaging.

Currently, the feds are considering following the lead of places like
Australia which mandate plain tobacco packs with just the company name
in white print and a health warning on an unattractive background colour.

"I think these are some things in terms of options for marijuana,"
Cunningham, a CCS senior policy analyst, said. "If the objective is
you want to discourage kids from using marijuana, you probably don't
want to have pictures of Bob Marley on the package, or something like
that."

And that is one of the goals for the federal task force on
marijuana.

A task force discussion paper says legalized pot could be subject to
packaging and labelling requirements "both to protect children and to
ensure adult users have the necessary information to make informed
choices."

Child-proof containers and health labels are under consideration by
the task force.

The CCS does not have a position on marijuana legislation or policy,
Cunningham said.

"We certainly have a long-standing point of view with respect to
second-hand smoke. You shouldn't be able to smoke anything anywhere
that smoking is banned - so no marijuana, no herbal hookah, no
waterpipe or cigarettes," he said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt