Province's system heeds advice of public-health experts, but substances won't be sold together in single outlet British Columbia will create a retail system for recreational cannabis that is almost identical to the one for alcohol, but like most other provinces, will not allow the two substances to be sold together in private or public stores once Ottawa legalizes marijuana this summer. Solicitor-General Mike Farnworth released more details for the province's legal cannabis framework on Monday. He noted that his NDP government heeded the advice of the country's top public health experts to ban the sales of cannabis next to alcohol. The province's biggest public unions had pushed for co-location, which only Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories have approved. However, it will be legal in some rural areas, just as the province now allows alcohol to be sold next to tobacco in special cases, he added. [continues 496 words]
Recreational marijuana will be sold in a network of stand-alone stores overseen by the province's liquor regulator, according to rules announced Monday by the B.C. government. Public health officials had warned against selling cannabis and alcohol in the same place, which is advice the province took seriously, said Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general. When federal law makes recreational pot legal in July, there will be both privately run and government-operated cannabis shops. They will not be allowed to sell alcohol, tobacco, clothes, gas or lottery tickets, although exceptions will be made for pot shops in rural areas. [continues 938 words]
Here's why there won't be any legal pot access in Queens County When marijuana becomes legal across Canada July 1, Queens County residents won't be buying any of the recreational drug from the local NSLC. In fact, they'll have to drive all the way to Yarmouth or Lower Sackville. If you're in the Annapolis Valley or Eastern Shore, you're also out of luck. Justice Minister Mark Furey introduced a cautious rollout of the sales of cannabis in Nova Scotia Jan. 30 with only nine locations - four of them in HRM - selling the product. Amherst, Truro, New Glasgow, Sydney River, and Yarmouth are the only locations outside of the metro area. [continues 1189 words]
The B.C. government has barred the sale of "snacks" in all the new retail marijuana shops that will start opening legally this summer. Only cannabis and cannabis accessories will be on the shelves, which overlooks the fact that snacks are the No. 1 cannabis accessory. They go together like alcohol and fist fights. The prohibition is one of several details Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth released Monday. Countless more will come out in the next few months before the new era of legal cannabis arrives in Canada on July 1. Farnworth said the government's adaptation will carry on for a long time after that. And a lot of the further details will involve municipal governments, which have significant say in shaping the retail landscape and have been grappling with how to do so. [continues 543 words]
Quilt of marijuana laws emerging across Canada as provinces refine the details Ottawa lawyer Trina Fraser says someone should invent an app called "Am I Breaking the Law?" to help Canadians navigate the confusion when recreational marijuana becomes legal. Pot smokers could type in their age, location, the amount and type of marijuana they possess, where they bought it and where they plan to consume it, then press a button to find out if they are in danger of being collared by police. [continues 1425 words]
The provincial government on Monday unveiled a set of retail rules for recreational cannabis that paves the way for a new network of stand-alone stores operated by the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch but leaves an opening for existing medical-pot dispensaries to legitimize. However, municipalities will be left with the authority to block any storefront sales of marijuana if they oppose it, Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said in unveiling the regulatory framework. The retail framework, to be in place for legalization of recreational cannabis by July 1, will allow for online and storefront sales but restrict bricks-and-mortar commerce to stand-alone stores that don't sell liquor, tobacco, food or other products. [continues 631 words]
It may be easier to halt fly-by-night marijuana sellers once legal, because with regulation come clear rules Somewhere in warehouses where Vancouver contraband goes to die are the raw ingredients for quite the party. In late January, liquor inspectors raided three British Columbia bars and one private members' club for selling whisky bought illegally from private liquor stores. Hundreds of bottles of fine, single-cask whisky were confiscated because of archaic liquor laws that Attorney-General David Eby now says he intends to fix. [continues 646 words]
Ontario's proposal to allow people to consume marijuana in hotel rooms opens the door to a boom in cannabis tourism, says lawyer Matt Mauer. Mauer heads the cannabis law group at Minden Gross in Toronto and says he knows businesspeople who are interested in opening cannabis-friendly hotels and resorts. Mauer says he was surprised by the province's proposal to loosen up the ban on consuming cannabis anywhere other than private homes. The government has also asked for public comments on whether to allow cannabis lounges. [continues 760 words]
If it wasn't for the scent, customers who wandered into Eden Medicinal Society would be forgiven for thinking they had entered a boutique health store rather than a marijuana dispensary. The distinctive fragrance greets shoppers at the door. It wafts from jars filled with bright green British Columbia bud lining spotless glass shelves. Flat-screen monitors on gleaming white walls display prices of golden hemp flower paste and mocha THC syrup. Behind the counter stands Vanessa Dandurand, the 30- year-old store manager with an encyclopedic knowledge of cannabis and many dedicated return customers. [continues 885 words]
Although a majority of Atlantic Canadians support the legalization of marijuana for personal use, not many actually plan on using it recreationally when it is legal. According to numbers from Corporate Research Associates (CRA), the proportion of Atlantic Canadians who plan on at least occasionally lighting up for fun is about 20 per cent. Ten per cent of respondents indicated they would "definitely" be occasionally purchasing and using marijuana, while 10 per cent said they would "probably" be doing so. Twenty-two per cent of people in Atlantic Canada said they would "probably not" be purchasing and, at least occasionally, using marijuana. Approximately 59 per cent responded that they wouldn't, or that they didn't know. [continues 447 words]
Colleges, universities say people want to learn how to work in newly legalized field VANCOUVER- From growing the perfect crop to marketing within restrictive rules, Canadian colleges and universities are cultivating courses for those wanting to work in the booming marijuana industry. Kwantlen Polytechnic University started offering online courses in cannabis production, marketing and financing about three years ago, after officials at the British Columbia school realized there was a need for training and education around medicinal marijuana, said David Purcell, the university's director of emerging business. [continues 564 words]
Users will have to drive to Yarmouth or Lower Sackville to purchase pot When marijuana becomes legal across Canada July 1, Annapolis Valley residents won't be buying any of the recreational drug from their local NSLC. In fact, they'll have to drive all the way to Yarmouth or Lower Sackville. If you're on the South Shore or Eastern Shore, you're also out of luck. If you're in Liverpool, you'll have to drive to metro or Yarmouth. [continues 988 words]
Civil lawsuits over cannabis sales, such as the one the City of Victoria won last week, are part of a new, civilized approach to pot, says a B.C. lawyer, "At least in British Columbia, we have evolved to the point where the response is not to just send in the police," Kirk Tousaw said. "We now take [cannabis sellers] through the normal civil litigation process that you would use with any non-compliant business." Tousaw has spoken on Canada's marijuana laws before the Supreme Court of Canada and argued on behalf of clients from New Brunswick to B.C. He has also represented Ted Smith, Victoria's longtime cannabis crusader. [continues 240 words]
'Be it resolved the government of Canada should treat drug abuse as a health issue, expand treatment and harm reduction services and re-classify low-level drug possession and consumption as administrative violations." That's the concluding sentence of a draft resolution up for possible consideration at the federal Liberals' next policy convention, to be held in Halifax this April. It follows a preamble that suggests Canada should follow the example of Portugal, which in 2001 did just that, decriminalizing possession of relatively small amounts of illicit drugs. [continues 347 words]
Excluding convicted drug dealers from exoneration unfair, cannabis advocate says PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau must have expected questions about cannabis legalization at his town hall event in Winnipeg on Wednesday night, but he might not have anticipated this one. In light of the Liberal government's plans to offer some kind of amnesty to Canadians with cannabis possession convictions, Manitoba cannabis advocate Steven Stairs asked: "Would your government be considering pardons for people who are being convicted of trafficking cannabis? "Small-time drug dealers, pot sales, guy on the corner, whatever you want to call them, but those people are just as peaceful, mostly, as the other people that have been charged, and I don't find it fair that you would exclude them from the pardon system," he said. [continues 724 words]
Existing dispensaries could transition to legal market with supply deals intact If it wasn't for the scent, customers who wandered into Eden Medicinal Society would be forgiven for thinking they had entered a boutique health store rather than a marijuana dispensary. The distinctive fragrance greets shoppers at the door. It wafts from jars filled with bright green B.C. bud lining spotless glass shelves. Flatscreen monitors on gleaming white walls display prices of golden hemp flower paste and mocha THC syrup. [continues 861 words]
Legalization of marijuana would make it hard to evict a smoking tenant who is bothering their neighbours Smoking pot smells. Whether you like the odour or hate it, few think it's not a strong smell. As legalization rapidly approaches in Canada, landlords and tenants are grappling with whether an apartment building can be declared marijuana-smoke-free, whether a disobedient smoker could be evicted and whether a blanket provincial ban on cannabis smoke at home might be the only way to stop it. [continues 756 words]
University students develop campaigns to educate high school students about cannabis Three teams of Queen's University students have put together a series of marketing campaigns to educate high school pupils about cannabis. The legalization of cannabis is set for July 1, and students of psychiatry professor Oyedeji Ayonrinde and business professor John-Kurt Pliniussen developed ways to give high school-age young people some of the information they need to make informed decisions. The campaigns were developed by students working in teams, and their messages were delivered through social media to reach the younger audience. [continues 560 words]
Expert panellist says many Windsor MDs not comfortable prescribing pot Lauren Meadows was a young nursing student when her joint pain, fevers, lack of dexterity and inability to lift even light objects caught the attention of her instructors. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, but only after her severe joint damage was identified through X-rays, she struggled to manage her pain, insomnia, fatigue and swelling around her joints. Meadows tried lots of medications - enduring many side effects - until a visit to the Arthritis Society website sent her on a path to medical marijuana and the relief she was seeking. [continues 602 words]
Should such a proposal ever arise, I would suggest we don't name any parks or public spaces after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or erect any statues of him. The legalization of marijuana is another federal Liberal mistake that will have the most negative outcome of all. Whatever revenue the provincial Liberals hope to pocket from the LCBO sale of marijuana will be offset by additional costs in policing and medical services as a result of the increased number of individuals who will no doubt become addicted. Gary Manley London [end]
