Pubdate: Thu, 02 Mar 2017
Source: Goldstream Gazette (Victoria, CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 Black Press
Contact:  http://www.vicnews.com/eeditions/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1291
Author: Katherine Engqvist

LANGFORD MAYOR URGES TRUDEAU TO TAKE ACTION ON POT

The timing may be due to the City of Langford's ongoing battle with a
medicinal marijuana dispensary or Justin Trudeau's visit to the
region. But whatever the reason, the City is calling for action from
the prime minister.

Langford Mayor Stew Young has reached out to Trudeau, pleading with
the federal government to take quick action to regulate the
distribution of medical marijuana. In a letter dated Feb. 21, Young
suggested that Health Canada-licensed producers and pharmacies should
become the sole distributors of cannabis.

a€œIn my view, this is the only viable way the police can fulfill
their mandate to uphold the law and to protect the public," Young wrote.

Despite promises to legalize marijuana, Trudeau took a tough stance on
current marijuana regulations, saying "the law remains the law" during
a visit to Esquimalt Thursday.

According to Trudeau, the move to regulate marijuana was to protect
children, and take the billions of dollars that criminal organizations
and street gangs are pocketing through the sale of the drugs, and
direct them into a system that can be monitored, taxed and used to
support people who are facing drug use challenges.

Young also suggested that licensed producers be permitted to create
storefront dispensaries to distribute cannabis to patients directly,
and asked that Health Canada establish a certification program for
anyone who dispenses any doctor-prescribed cannabis products. "In my
view it is extremely important to have trained, educated professionals
safely dispensing drugs across Canada."

By doing this, Young wrote, it would undercut the growing number of
illegal dispensaries popping up across the country. "It is my firm
belief that these changes would go a long way in protecting the public
from illegal cannabis increasingly coming from unknown sources a€" and
very likely from criminal elements."

Bill Blair, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and
Attorney General of Canada, has started a cross-country trip to
discuss the legalization and regulation of cannabis. Young expressed
an interest in meeting with him, the minster of health or the Prime
Minister to discuss the matter.

"Bringing legal clarity quickly to this issue is paramount for our
communities. The longer your government takes to provide clear
direction to Canadians, the greater the opportunity for contradictory
direction." With files from Kendra Wong/Black Press
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MAP posted-by: Matt