Pubdate: Sat, 07 Oct 2017 Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB) Copyright: 2017 Postmedia Network Contact: http://www.calgaryherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66 Page: A14 PRIVATIZE SALE OF POT The Trudeau government's notice that recreational use of marijuana will be legal on July 1, 2018, has created a number of challenges for provincial politicians. Legalizing the substance is the easy part. More difficult is deciding how the drug will be sold to customers, where retail outlets will be located, where cannabis can be smoked and how police will be able to detect those who have consumed too much pot. The NDP government provided a glimpse this week of what legalized pot might mean for Albertans, but it's waiting for the public to weigh in before it introduces legislation this fall. One of the most fundamental decisions the NDP must make is whether Alberta should allow marijuana to be sold in private stores - just like alcohol is - or whether the government will operate its own outlets, as Ontario has decided. Alberta Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley says if privately owned stores are permitted, they would be restricted to selling marijuana. They would not be able to offer alcohol, tobacco or pharmaceuticals to their customers. There's an argument to be made that existing private liquor retailers possess the expertise and regulatory compliance to make the introduction of legalized pot a success. The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission will be the wholesaler for marijuana, after all, just as it is for beer, wine and spirits. Ganley has rejected such a model, and if that's the case, the NDP should choose a system of privately owned marijuana retail outlets. If the government doesn't need to be involved in the sale of alcohol - which was proved long ago - then it doesn't need to have a hand in the retailing of marijuana, which is likely to still be available on the black market despite government efforts. "With a private model, there would be less risk and less costs, obviously, upfront. But down the road, there's the potential in several years that the government could net increased revenues from a public system," Ganley said Tuesday. Alberta entrepreneurs demonstrate their acumen every day, regardless of what product they sell or service they provide. The same, sadly, cannot be said of governments, which are characterized by high costs and inefficiency. In Ontario, it's suspected the creation of government-controlled stores is a costly sop to public sector unions. We don't need more of that here. Our provincial government, like others across the country, has many determinations to make to facilitate the federally mandated sale of pot. On the matter of retail outlets, the NDP should draw upon the expertise of the private sector. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt