As the province wraps up its short consultation period with local governments and the public on the impending legalization of marijuana, city councils - including Merritt - are being put in the hot seat.

The federal government will introduce legislation which will see marijuana legalized for recreational use across the country on July 1, 2018. While the feds will retain control over, provinces will be tasked with deciding how to deal with crafting their own rules regarding the enforcement and sale of cannabis products.

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Although the topic of the finance minister and his assets that were not held in a blind trust, leaving a potential conflict of interest investigation looming remains an active one in Ottawa, it will not be the topic of this week's report.

Instead, I would like to solicit your thoughts on the pending legalization of marijuana.

For those of you unfamiliar, the Liberals in the last election openly campaigned on the legalization of marijuana. I raise that point as I believe the Liberals received a democratic mandate from voters to move ahead with marijuana legalization.

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Re: "Legalized pot expected to have 'significant impact' on police work," Nov. 1. I just read an article about legalized marijuana dramatically increasing the workload for police forces across the country. This makes no sense.

I believe the police currently check for possession, driving while high, etc. They talk to kids about drugs now. They do surveillance on gangs and bust grow-ops. Will things change that much after legalization? If the object is to reduce or eliminate the black market, many of these problems will be reduced, not increased.

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VANCOUVER - New rules for legalized marijuana need to consider the impact on workplaces and clarify the rights of both employers and employees, say some business groups.

Ottawa has set July 1 as the deadline for regulations to be in place and many provinces and territories are still working to craft legislation, including B.C., where a public consultation on legal pot wrapped up this week.

Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, said large and small companies need guidance from the provincial and federal governments on how they should balance employee privacy with safety in the workplace.

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Customers suspected of selling opioids

A Nanaimo pot shop has been shut down after RCMP suspected customers of selling illegal opioids inside the store.

Nanaimo RCMP raided the Limelife Society marijuana dispensary at 119 Nicol St. about 8 p.m. Thursday, acting on information that patrons were trafficking opioids, said Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Const. Gary O'Brien.

Two men were arrested and found to be in possession of eight purple tablets. The tablets will be sent for testing to determine if they contain fentanyl, O'Brien said.

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To: Mayor and Council of the City of West Kelowna

I find myself writing this in support of the cannabis dispensaries in West Kelowna which have either been closed or are threatened to be closed by this current council. Over the past one-and-a-half years I have been a regular customer of a number of those businesses. They have become an important part of our daily lives dealing with arthritis, achy backs, anxiety, stomach issues, restless leg syndrome, etc. etc. The cannabis products provided by these businesses have been instrumental in helping us enjoy our time at this point in our lives. We (my wife and I ) are in our late 50s and have found that we prefer to use more natural methods to tend to our more minor health issues if possible and these dispensaries provide this for us and thousands of others in your community.

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Canadian municipalities aren't the only ones trying to figure out how they're going to respond when marijuana becomes legal across Canada next summer.

A recent Maclean's story shows universities across the country are also struggling with how to adapt. UNBC is no different. "Senior administration is giving this issue thought and some of our operational units are discussing it as well," UNBC provost and vice-president, academic, Dan Ryan said in a written statement.

"UNBC is developing a response but we will have to consult with various people/units around the university, including the Board of Governors, and make sure the response is framed appropriately and that we're going in the right direction."

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Kelowna city staff say cannabis should only be sold from storefront dispensaries licenced by the provincial government and under rules similar to existing liquor stores. And their locations and operations should be controlled by municipal land use zoning and bylaws.

Those are the key recommendations in a report to go to city council Monday morning after the province asked municipalities across the B.C. for input about how marijuana and cannabis products should be distributed once the federal government makes them legal next July.

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Mayor and council of the City of Quesnel developed, discussed and passed a response to provincial government for policy considerations for a regulatory framework for non-medical cannabis in British Columbia at its Oct. 24 meeting.

Following the 2015 federal election, the Liberal government started working on its campaign promise to legalize cannabis across the country.

The revision of Cannabis Act and the Criminal Code are underway and it's expected these bills will be passed by July 2018.

The provinces will be responsible for the regulation of the distribution and sale of cannabis.

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VANCOUVER - Police departments and local governments are asking British Columbia for a cut of marijuana revenues as the province crafts regulations for legalized pot.

The provincial government asked for public input last month as it develops new rules. Submissions are posted online and will be accepted until Wednesday.

Feedback so far includes recommendations from View Royal and Port Coquitlam for pot profits to be directed to municipalities to address costs associated with enforcement.

The British Columbia Association of Municipal Chiefs of Police echoes that recommendation, saying in its submission that the "cost download" of enforcement needs to be considered when a revenue-sharing system is developed.

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Many Canadians can hardly wait for the day that the recreational use of marijuana becomes legal. As a medical doctor, I'm far less enthusiastic. I worry about two things: the experimental nature of marijuana in medical practice and the public-health consequences of legalized marijuana.

Before you write me off as overly prudish or an anti-marijuana conservative, let me say out of the gate that I'm not opposed to legalized marijuana in principle - I'm just paying attention to the evidence, or rather, the lack of it. My concern is that as marijuana becomes more easily available, Canadians might become more inclined to self-medicate with this so-called "miracle drug."

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West Kelowna councillor declares conflict of interest during discussion of B.C.'s policy on sale of marijuana

West Kelowna city Coun. Rosalind Neis did not participate this week in discussions about how marijuana should be distributed when it is legalized.

At the outset of Tuesday's deliberations, Neis declared a conflict of interest.

"As you're all well aware, I hold stock in publicly traded cannabis companies, so I will be excusing myself from this discussion," Neis told her council colleagues before leaving the meeting room.

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At a special council meeting, Tuesday city council lit up its marijuana advice for the provincial government.

Mayor Doug Findlater and his council provided feedback for the ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General on the legalization of non-medical marijuana. Council came up with these suggestions:

* The minimum age to buy, grow and possess marijuana should be 19.

* Province should prohibit public cannabis smoking altogether, but allow cannabis vaping wherever tobacco smoking and vaping are allowed.

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Recommendations to province include municipalities sharing in cannabis economy

Local municipalities should share in the revenues of a legal recreational marijuana economy and should retain the authority to regulate retailers and suppliers in their communities.

Those were among the recommendations approved by Parksville city council Monday, Oct. 23, in response to a request for input by the provincial government into provincial regulation of marijuana beginning in July of 2018.

The non-binding recommendations followed a report from Keeva Kehler, the city's director of administrative services.

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Canadian municipalities aren't the only ones trying to figure out how they're going to respond when marijuana becomes legal across Canada next summer. A recent Maclean's story shows universities across the country are also struggling with how to adapt. UNBC is no different.

"Senior administration is giving this issue thought and some of our operational units are discussing it as well," UNBC provost and vice-president, academic, Dan Ryan said in a written statement.

"UNBC is developing a response but we will have to consult with various people/ units around the university, including the Board of Governors, and make sure the response is framed appropriately and that we're going in the right direction."

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Editor: We need to seriously consider legalization of illegal substances, as this cannot continue. In countries such as Portugal, statistics show overdoses, crime and addiction rates decreased following legalization.

With fewer arrests and lifelong sentences, some prisons became so vacant that they were refurbished to apartments and living quarters.

These could be used by low income people or those on government assistance, homeless or recovering addicts. Like those in living in RVs on farmland down Gulley Road who need a place to live, this would be perfect for Vancouver and Kelowna with their high rents, lack of housing and the mild climate that many homeless come to (or are sent to) for the winter.

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Members of city council agree on need for tight regulatory framework once marijuana is legalized next summer

Marijuana should be sold only in government-controlled stores when the drug is legalized next summer, West Kelowna council says.

A tight regulatory framework is preferable to a free-market approach, at least in the initial stages of the drug's legalization, city councillors said Tuesday.

"It could be loosened (over time), as it seems reasonable to do so," Coun. Bryden Winsby said.

"There'd be all kinds of opportunities later, if it works, to change the retailing system," Coun. Duane Ophus said.

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From the head of DEA to the pimple-faced skater punk, everybody knows that you can't kill weed - you may as well try to rid the world of dandelions and rainbows. Ready or not, weed will do what weeds do - they spread. But not to worry Mr. and Mrs. Buzzkill; think of marijuana as a phase that society is going through. Like a teenager going through a rebellious stage.

Just like 99.9 per cent of the people reading this, teenagers will also try things like alcohol, tobacco and fornication.

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Editor: I am one of the 700 medical patients that is being affected by West Kelowna city council. I am told that I am like most of the other clients that happily visit the Black Crow Herbals weekly for my medication.

I am older (57) and need help in maintaining my health due to chronic back pain (since 2004), constant nausea, etc.

Three years ago, my doctor sadly told me that he could not continue providing prescriptions for percocet to help me with my constant pain, since narcotics were being abused throughout the country.

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Dear Editor,

Re: "This bud's for you?" Feature, Oct. 20.

With money laundering being "uncovered" at our largest casino, a burgeoning birth tourism industry displacing tax-paying Canadians requiring a hospital bed and the expanding opiate (fentanyl) addiction crisis, this "Marijuana Legalization Concern Group" and the city councillors who support them (Mr. Au and Mr. McNulty), all need a reality check as to what the real issues are today within Richmond. Their list of demands to the federal government regarding cannabis legalization demonstrate a collective ignorance towards addiction, the negative effects prohibition has had on society, and the root causes of criminality.

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