Pubdate: Thu, 15 Sep 2016
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Robert Benzie
Page: A6

ONTARIO URGES OTTAWA TO CLEAR THE AIR ON POT

Critics say slow approach to legalization is creating a Wild West
atmosphere

All three major provincial political party leaders agree that Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau needs to clear the haze swirling around
marijuana legalization.

In a rare display of unanimity at Queen's Park, Liberal Premier
Kathleen Wynne, Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown and NDP
Leader Andrea Horwath are each urging Ottawa to provide some direction.

"We need to get some clarity from the federal government on timeline
and process," said Wynne, who has officials from 12 provincial
departments working on a marijuana strategy dealing with health,
justice and social implications.

"All of the orders of government need to work together, because there
are impacts.

"Whatever the decisions are, there will be impacts on every level of
government and on our jurisdiction, so I think that there needs to be
that conversation that includes everybody as we could move forward."

Brown concurred that "it would be better if there was
clarity."

"There's an extended legal grey zone and there's a mandate that Prime
Minister Trudeau has from the last federal election; everyone
anticipates (legalization) is coming," the Tory leader said.

Currently, scofflaws are able to operate illegal "dispensaries," which
is making things difficult for law enforcement officials.

"Police officers are telling me they 're worried about drug-impaired
driving and they need assistance to deal with it," Brown said.

"So I think there's a lot of complications with this new initiative
and the faster we can address those complications, the better Ontario
will be." Horwath echoed that concern. "Unfortunately, at this point,
there's more questions than answers about what's going to happen," the
NDP leader said. "We don't know enough yet. There's just too much
uncertainty at this point to even know where the government is going
to go."

Their comments came as the president of the Ontario Chamber of
Commerce publicly asked Wynne to allow recreational marijuana to be
sold by private retailers licensed by the government.

Allan O'Dette said "municipalities should have a voice in the approval
process" for grow-ops and retail sites.

"Licences should not be issued for communities which have voted
against production or distribution facilities," said O'Dette, whose
organization boasts 60,000 members across the province.

On Monday, Anne McLellan, leader of Trudeau's legalization task force,
said Ottawa should "go slow" on reforming cannabis laws.

McLellan told the Star there is much Canada can learn from U.S. states
that have legalized weed.

"One of the things we have learned, or we have heard . . . from states
like Washington and Colorado . . . is take your time," the former
deputy prime minister said.

"Because it's much harder to pull something back than it is to,
perhaps, be a little bit more restrictive out of the box and then, as
you learn, you maybe loosen things up a bit."

Critics note Ottawa's languid approach has contributed to a Wild West
atmosphere with cash-only storefront weed shops popping up all over
Toronto.

Despite police crackdowns, the so-called dispensaries remain
open.

While medicinal marijuana is legal in Canada, patients must have a
prescription from a medical doctor.

It must be shipped by registered mail from one of the 35 Health
Canada-licensed producers.

As of last month, patients with a medical prescription can also grow
small amounts of marijuana for their personal consumption.
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