Pubdate: Sat, 15 Apr 2017
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2017 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.ottawasun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.ottawasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Page: 14
Referenced: Cannabis Act: http://mapinc.org/url/Kd46SXou

DON'T JUST RUBBER STAMP POT BILL

It all sounded so easy when Justin Trudeau, then leader of the third
party, announced his plans to legalize marijuana. But with any
complicated legislation, the devil is in the details.

This is the point Canada finds itself at now, following the Liberal
government's Thursday announcement of their proposed Cannabis Act law.

There were no big surprises in the law. We'd heard a lot of it before:
The minimum age to purchase pot will be 18, and the provinces can make
it higher. Adults can grow up to four plants but broader production
and distribution would remain illegal, unless they're done by a
federally licensed producer.

It's clear this is the direction the country is headed in. Most
Canadians agree that otherwise law-abiding people shouldn't be thrown
in jail for having marijuana on them. In some respects, the government
is just responding to the winds of change.

But this doesn't mean Canadians will give this major piece of
legislation a free pass. People still have questions ranging from
enforcement issues to health effects.

Like how will we actually enforce the four plant minimum to make sure
there aren't grow ops in our communities?

Or how will we test people from driving while under the influence of
cannabis? Canadian law enforcement doesn't yet have that technology.
And how will we deter excessive usage? Conservative leadership
candidate and physician Kellie Leitch shared her concerns in a recent
column: "Young people who use marijuana have lower high school
graduation rates, which puts their future in jeopardy. Worse, the
science shows that marijuana use in 18- to 25-year-olds can result in
brain deformities."

A 2013 report by UNICEF revealed Canadian teens lead the world when it
comes to marijuana usage. Under this new legislation, an 18 year-old
still in high school will be able to buy cannabis. What's to stop them
from sharing with their classmates?

To address this very concern, columnist Jim Warren recommended the
minimum national age be pushed up to 21 in a recent column.

When MPs in the House and committee look at this bill, they shouldn't
just rubber stamp it but listen to stakeholders and consider the sort
of amendments Warren and others recommend.

There's no rush. Let's get this right.
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MAP posted-by: Matt