Pubdate: Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2017 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/send_a_letter
Website: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Solomon Israel
Page: B4

PASS THAT JOINT, BUT FIRST, DITCH THE CAR KEYS

Manitobans OK with toking neighbours: survey

MOST Manitobans are unfazed by the thought of a pot-smoking neighbour,
but are less comfortable with the prospect of drivers under the
influence of cannabis - or the idea of selling edible marijuana
products in bars, according to a Probe Research poll commissioned by
CTV Winnipeg.

Sixty-seven per cent of respondents said they wouldn't be bothered to
learn their neighbour "was a regular marijuana user as opposed to a
regular alcohol drinker," an attitude that was consistent across all
age groups.

Age did have an impact on how respondents viewed the question of
driving under the influence of cannabis, as opposed to alcohol. Asked
to react to the statement "Driving while under the influence of
alcohol is worse than driving while under the influence of marijuana,"
50 per cent of all respondents disagreed, with 31 per cent indicating
they disagreed strongly. Among respondents aged 18 to 34, however,
just 35 per cent disagreed with the statement, with 46 per cent
indicating that driving under the influence of alcohol is worse.

Younger Manitobans also felt more at ease with the idea of bars
selling cannabis-infused edible goods alongside alcohol products.
Fifty-nine per cent of respondents aged 18 to 34 agreed they would be
"comfortable" with that possibility, compared to 41 per cent of those
aged 35 to 54 and 29 per cent of respondents aged 55 and up.

The federal government plans to legalize cannabis by July 2018, but
Canadians won't find mass-manufactured pot brownies next to the beer
taps at their local tavern quite so quickly. Ottawa already has said
it will need extra time beyond the date of legalization to develop
appropriate regulations for edible cannabis products, such as
child-resistant packaging and standard doses.

Along with Bill C-45, which would legalize marijuana, the federal
government's Bill C-46 is meant to address drug-impaired driving. The
legislation would allow the government to establish a legal limit for
a driver's blood concentration of THC, the primary psychoactive
chemical in cannabis. Police would be able to demand saliva samples
from suspected drugged drivers in order to determine the presence of
drugs and establish reasonable grounds for an offence, then demand the
driver undergo a blood test or drug evaluation by a trained expert.

The Probe Research/CTV Winnipeg poll captured the opinions of 1,032
Manitoba adults between Aug. 8 and Aug. 20. Because the poll was
conducted online, it does not represent a random sample of Manitobans
and its margin of error cannot be determined.
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MAP posted-by: Matt