Legal pot sales could lead to $95M annual profits for province Legal pot sales in Manitoba could raise as much as $95 million a year for government after five years if the province could take over 80% of the black market, according to recent figures released by the Pallister government. The sales projections, which contemplate various levels of black market penetration, are based on selling marijuana products through stand-alone government stores. However, since the Pallister government has opted for private retail stores instead, updated projections could be higher or lower. [continues 217 words]
WINNIPEG - Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister signalled Monday that the province's private sector will be involved in the distribution of marijuana when recreational use is legalized next July. Pallister said details of the provincial plan to govern cannabis would be released Tuesday. He rejected earlier statements from the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union that sales should be done exclusively through government-run stores. Pallister said there will be some sort of a "hybrid option" - public-sector regulation and distribution combined with private-sector delivery - that could take business away from the existing black market. [continues 305 words]
If Colorado is any indication, provincial coffers will be filled Premier Brian Pallister may not be holding out much hope that the province will cash in on a windfall of taxation revenue from the legalization of marijuana. But if skyrocketing sales of commercially-available weed in the state of Colorado - which legalized pot in 2012 - are any indication, the government of Manitoba could be in for a sizeable revenue stream once the industry shifts into high gear. Pallister announced Tuesday that recreational marijuana, which becomes legal on July 1, 2018 under federal legislation, will be regulated by the provincial Liquor and Gaming Authority but sold through private retail outlets. The province issued a request for proposals Tuesday to solicit bids from private retailers. [continues 593 words]
There's plenty of interest in selling legal pot in Manitoba. The province notes an expression of interest on the subject attracted more than 60 responses. Premier Brian Pallister said that bodes well for his government's goal to ensure official marijuana stores are accessible enough to undermine the black market. Pallister said the province aims to ensure access to marijuana sales within a 30-minute drive for 90% of Manitobans to meet that goal. "We wish to see broad coverage, broad availability," he said. [continues 204 words]
Province planning public-private hybrid plan A local advocate believes "Manitoba has an opportunity to be a country-wide leader" in marijuana legalization after the province announced plans to exclusively sell marijuana through private retailers. "Get ready for the green rush," said Steven Stairs, Winnipeg's most outspoken cannabis proponent and community organizer. On Tuesday, the Manitoba government revealed details of its hybrid public-private response to the federal government's impending legalization of recreational cannabis on July 1, 2018. It's a significant departure from the public-sector biased approach of at least one other province. [continues 393 words]
MANITOBA has become the first province to allow the private sector to play a central role in the future retail sales of recreational cannabis in Canada. The federal Cannabis Act, which is not yet law, would make the federal government responsible for regulating the production of recreational cannabis. Designing a system for distribution and sales will be up to provinces and territories. The Manitoba government's plan, which will let private retailers operate cannabis stores in conjunction with a government-owned regulation, distribution and supply regime, is a far cry from the all-public plans already revealed by some other provinces. [continues 299 words]
MANITOBANS are learning it will be their mayor and local council who will decide if legal retail cannabis can be sold in their communities next summer. Notwithstanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's promise to legalize pot nationally by July 1, and Premier Brian Pallister's months of accusing Ottawa of moving too fast, it turns out it will be a local decision. Municipal councils found out Tuesday, and Pallister's office confirmed Wednesday, that the province is giving them the same local power over pot as they have over Sunday shopping. [continues 927 words]
MANITOBA Premier Brian Pallister says he wants "the best of both worlds" by including both private and public sectors in the handling of legalized marijuana. Nevertheless, he was talking up the attractions of the private sector a lot more than the public Monday. The premier will release details of the government's request for proposals today. However, he repeated warnings Monday that gangs will not simply go away when cannabis becomes legal in Canada on July 1. The illegal gangs want to keep supplying the product that's been making them a lot of money, Pallister told reporters. "They know how to adapt. The competition isn't going to go away." [continues 334 words]
Province says top concern must be health, safety KEEPING cannabis out of the hands of minors will be of paramount concern when the Pallister government announces how the drug will be legally sold in Manitoba, Justice Minister Heather Stefanson says. Speaking Friday to the annual general meeting of the Manitoba Progressive Conservative party in Winnipeg, Stefanson blasted the federal government for rushing cannabis legalization and failing to estimate its associated costs, many of which are expected to fall to the provinces. [continues 520 words]
MANITOBA Liquor and Lotteries (MLL) wants to handle all angles of legal pot in Manitoba - everything including production, distribution and sales. The Crown corporation said Friday that it submitted an expression of interest to the government of Premier Brian Pallister in September. Pallister will issue a request for proposals Tuesday, setting out for anyone interested in getting a piece of the action in the legal pot business, where the government wants to go when cannabis becomes legal July 1. MLL declined Friday to elaborate or provide any further detail. [continues 240 words]
Premier urges ministers, civil service to declare any potential issues with business side of marijuana sales MANITOBA - Premier Brian Pallister has ordered cabinet ministers, their legislative assistants and senior civil servants to declare any possible conflicts of interest they may have with legalized marijuana, as he prepares to ramp up its implementation July 1. Pallister told reporters Wednesday he'll issue a request for proposals next Tuesday for anyone interested in being involved in the production, storage, and sale of legalized marijuana. [continues 363 words]
ANY Canadians can hardly wait for the day 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 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 may become more inclined to self-medicate with what's been called a "miracle drug." [continues 619 words]
Tells colleagues to disclose any ties to marijuana industry Manitoba's premier is calling on his cabinet colleagues to declare any potential conflicts of interest related to the marijuana industry. Premier Brian Pallister said his government will release details of a request for proposals next Tuesday that relates to the sale of recreational marijuana, which the feds will legalize on July 1, 2018. Pallister said it's clearly time to ensure all those who could benefit from the marijuana business don't sway the outcome of that process. [continues 202 words]
Pallister tells cabinet to come clean on marijuana ties. How rare in politics - a leader setting a high moral and ethical standard. Premier Pallister deserves kudos for ensuring none of his cabinet minsters will gain financially when marijuana is legalized. I have not seen any "progressive" government leaders, including the Trudeau Liberals, setting this same high standard. Pot legalization is certainly open to financial gain by those with the inside information. Premier Pallister is also one of the few provincial leaders wanting the feds to slow down the legalization date. Trudeau came up with this risky plan for votes and new revenues, but it will be the premiers who will be saddled with the many negative unintended consequences. Larry Comeau (Sad he felt he had to. It should go without saying.) [end]
'That doesn't mean I like it,' Pallister says PREMIER Brian Pallister said Manitoba is "ahead of most other provinces" when it comes to preparing for federal legalization of cannabis by July 1. "That doesn't mean I like it,"he added at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. "I'm going to continue to express my concerns about the rapidity of this change; this is a significant change." The provincial government will unveil its approach to cannabis legalization "over the course of the next few weeks," Manitoba Justice Minister Heather Stefanson said. [continues 371 words]
Fentanyl traffickers are murderers, plain and simple On a warm Sunday, October afternoon, the kind of fall day when it seems anything is possible, I went to a funeral. I knew the dead man by proxy. I never met him. One of those things a dutiful partner does because it's the right thing to do. He was dead at 36. Fentanyl. Another casualty of the opioid epidemic ravaging cities and towns alike. Last summer a hometown buddy told me his daughter's friend, 14 at the time and with her whole life in front of her, was having a limited-time engagement at a local funeral parlour. [continues 439 words]
Real estate agents are worried about damage to home interiors with the proliferation of legal medical marijuana grow-ops in residences, even before marijuana is legalized in Canada. Peter Squire, vice-president of the Winnipeg Realtors Association, said members of the Canadian Real Estate Association were in Ottawa last week to meet with federal MPs. One of the chief topics discussed was Bill C-45, the law to make cannabis legal across Canada in July. "(The association) does have several concerns about the implications and consequences of personal cultivation for homes and homeowners," he said, noting damage from mould is a major issue. [continues 472 words]
For a government that promised to legislate using evidence-based science, the rapid approach of legalized marijuana in Canada is starting to look like a case study in blind faith. Last week, federal justice officials issued the next round of details in their impending pot law. In addition to existing impaired-by-drug laws that police are already using to prosecute drugged drivers, three new criminal offences are destined to be born to deal with pot-impaired driving all based on the quantity of THC found in a person's body. [continues 388 words]
There are concerns that once pot is legalized for recreational use, it'll be flying off the shelves at such a rate that those who justifiably need it for pain - medical users - won't be able to get their stash. Cannabis growers have been expanding their operations as fast as possible, and Health Canada is issuing more licences, but it still might not be enough to meet the coming demand. Some analysts expect a countrywide shortage once the cannabis market goes legit in July 2018. [continues 311 words]
ACCORDING to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the rate of opioid poisoning hospitalizations has been steadily on the rise, with approximately 13 Canadians a day hospitalized for an opioid overdose in 2014-15. What began with the over-prescription of opioids such as OxyContin, a painkiller previously thought to have a low potential for addiction, led first to the diversion of legal drugs to the illegal market, and later to the dramatic expansion of the illegal production of fentanyl. As the horror stories of addiction and death have multiplied, it is now clear that what was once a medical issue is now a population health crisis. [continues 673 words]
Re: Plan to police cannabis-impaired driving full of holes: experts (Sept. 29) Can we stop the parade of nonsense about the dangers of the legalization of marijuana? People have been smoking marijuana for decades and the idea that there will be a crush of people rushing to use this drug and drive is unfounded. You cannot stop drug use by criminalizing it. You simply create victims and drug dealers. In my opinion, there should be two categories of drugs: recreational - such as alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, nicotine and marijuana - that we regulate, and ones that are available by prescription. Prescription drugs like opioids, and unregulated non-prescription drugs, like Tylenol, cause more deaths than all the recreational drugs combined. We know recreational drugs like alcohol and nicotine cause problems for some; making them legal won't change that, but it will create fewer victims and casualties than drug wars. Jerry Storie Winnipeg [end]
Schools have been called upon to teach more than the Three Rs for many decades now, but they should add one more assignment to their long list of lessons: Warning students about drug use, especially deadly opioids. There'll be some who'll say such a message will fall on deaf ears, but we have a duty to try. Today's young people deserve credit for their sensible approach to hazards such as cigarette smoking and impaired driving - they certainly exhibit more common sense than many of their predecessors. [continues 306 words]
Increases in opioid overdoses send a clear message. Our prime minister needs to see it. The message is that more people are turning to drugs, not away from them. A culture of using less drugs, prescription or illegal, needs to be encouraged. Legalizing marijuana sends exactly the wrong message. People need to learn to deal with life's stresses without crutches. Justin Trudeau is supporting drug use, not condemning it. And that is the wrong message. Rick Lockman (For his government, that horse has already left the barn.) [end]
AS recreational cannabis becomes legal nationally on July 1, Canadians are faced with tremendous opportunity and risk. Our country is essentially rolling back a long-existing illegal trade to facilitate a legal, regulated market. The purpose, as the federal Liberal platform says, is: "to ensure that we keep marijuana out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals, we will legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana." With much yet to be figured out, the following focuses on the issue of how to implement retail distribution, which rests with each province. [continues 709 words]
THE federal government is set on legalizing marijuana by summer 2018. While the Liberals will enjoy the political payoff of appearing progressive, all the problems and the logistics of legalizing pot will fall on the shoulders of the provincial governments. There are strong correlations between how a drug or an indulgence, such as gambling, is made available to the public and the propensity for individuals to indulge in it, and the negative health and social outcomes associated with its use. In other words, it matters how we legalize marijuana, not just that we legalize it. [continues 646 words]
MANITOBA - Public Insurance announced a new public education campaign against drug-impaired driving on Thursday, with a focus on cannabis ahead of the expected legalization of that substance next year. The campaign, launched in co-operation with Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada, will include messaging focused on new teen drivers, youth in general, the medical community and the general public, with taglines such as "Think you're a better driver when you're high? Think again." MPI chief administrative officer Ward Keith said the campaign was developed in response to "a number of things that are lining up to give us real concerns about the risk of cannabis-impaired driving" after legalization. [continues 397 words]
THE reaction to last Friday's announcement of the Ontario government's plan for sales and regulation of legalized cannabis was, at best, mixed. The document, promoted as "a safe and sensible approach to the retail of recreational cannabis," didn't seem to make all that many people completely happy. At the plan's unveiling in Toronto, Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa said marijuana sales will be limited to a monopoly of cannabis stores under the control of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), with 40 free-standing locations slated to open in time for the July 1 pot legalization date and a total of 150 to be established by 2020. [continues 476 words]
THE government of Manitoba wants Ottawa to provide "further clarity" on how it will support provinces in implementing Bill C45, the Cannabis Act. In a Tuesday news release, Manitoba Justice Minister Heather Stefanson described cannabis legalization as "a significant shift in public policy with many challenges for the provinces and territories to address." Road safety is an area of particular concern, said Stefanson, who expects that topic to be front and centre when justice ministers from the federal, provincial and territorial governments meet in Vancouver from today to Friday. [continues 272 words]
Government union says public sales model best bet for health and safety CANADA'S most populous province has announced a plan to sell legal marijuana through a publicly owned system, which is music to the ears of the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union. MGEU president Michelle Gawronsky said she hopes Ontario's plan to sell cannabis separately from alcohol in publicly owned, stand-alone stores will set an example for Manitoba. A public sales model operated by Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation would be the best possible option from a public health and safety perspective, she argued. [continues 1189 words]
IF Canada's experience with legal recreational marijuana parallels what is taking place in U.S. states, we have much to anticipate in terms of entrepreneurial ferment, job creation, wealth expansion and boosted tax receipts. Legal recreational marijuana has been law in Colorado for three and a half years, and a little more than three years in Washington. Oregon staggered its rollout of recreational marijuana between 2015 and last year, Alaska and Nevada's programs are up and running and soon to follow are Massachusetts, Maine and the cannabis behemoth known as California. [continues 638 words]
Residents have serious concerns about people driving after using pot Half of Manitoba adults believe driving while high is the same as or worse than driving drunk, according to a new Probe Research poll. The poll, commissioned for CTV News, shows 34% of Manitobans over 18 years of age agree driving under the influence of alcohol is worse than driving while under the influence of marijuana. Another 16% said they were unsure, leaving a full 50% of Manitobans who believe driving after smoking is worse than driving after drinking. [continues 393 words]
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. [continues 345 words]
Province announces Overdose Awareness Day at rally at Legislature Moms Stop The Harm hosted their second annual gathering to honour loved ones lost to addiction and overdose on Thursday at the Manitoba Legislature. The Manitoba government announced at the event that August 31 would be International Overdose Awareness Day. The news for grieving parents like Carol Ward, who lost her daughter Lisa Erickson to overdose in April, is seen as a step in the right direction. But Ward believes more needs to be done. [continues 239 words]
Re: Winnipeg in grips of meth problem, say police (Aug. 27) Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Jay Murray is wrong when he says "the majority of property crime in the city is related to the methamphetamine subculture." Drug prohibition is responsible, just as it was when cocaine was the drug de jour in the past. The drug problem boils down to some people want to use those drugs and other people don't want them to. The short of it is that it is none of your business what drugs the next door neighbours are using since none of that use harms you. Repeal drug prohibition and the majority of property crime would end since these drugs that people want could be obtained for cheap and of a known purity at the local pharmacy. Chris Buors Selkirk [end]
A town hall in St. James Tuesday night will try to clear the air for any Winnipeggers with questions about cannabis legalization in advance of a legislation review this fall. Hosted by Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley MP Doug Eyolfson, the event will feature an in-depth review of Bill C-45-which would amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Criminal Code and other acts-expert testimony from witnesses at the federal health committee. Eyolfson said he's hosting the town hall to discuss the legislation and its objectives, but also to hear his constituent's thoughts. [continues 306 words]
THERE are no plans to open a supervised injection site in Winnipeg, a spokeswoman for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said in the wake of Toronto opening its first city-run space for people to inject illegal drugs. Supervised injection sites are legal facilities where drug users are able to use intravenous substances under medical supervision. They have been a controversial harm-reduction strategy since the first North American site opened in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in 2003. Toronto opened its first official site Monday. [continues 416 words]
Spike in Winnipeg drug overdoses - including opioids The number of annual drug overdoses in Winnipeg is on the rise. Data from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) show that emergency crews are responding to more overdoses, with 1,648 patients arriving with a drug overdose complaint at emergency rooms and urgent care facilities during the first seven months of this year. There were 2,565 such calls throughout 2016, up from 1,981 in 2014. And Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responded to 1,185 poisoning and overdose calls in 2017 (as of July 31), 1,803 in 2016 and 1,328 in 2014. Both agencies note alcohol is responsible for many cases. [continues 401 words]
IN his struggles to come up with a regime to control the sale of recreational marijuana, Premier Brian Pallister may have found a powerful ally. Shoppers Drug Mart. Despite a looming July 1, 2018 deadline to have a system in place, the province has been very reluctant to talk about how it would like to handle the production, distribution and sales of recreational pot. Last month, Justice Minister Heather Stefanson issued an expression of interest to find potential partners and solutions to handle all aspects of legalized marijuana. [continues 869 words]
Add this to the reasons why marijuana should be legalized: more than 100 years ago, the cigarette companies had Congress legalize their products. The only reasons were the farmers who were growing their own tobacco; the government wanted the taxes and still does. Their products are still there today; all of them are the No. 1 cause of lung cancer. It says this on each package, and they are sold everywhere. Marijuana is a green plant not loaded with chemicals to keep it burning, as cigarettes are, and does not cause any kind of cancer. It also has some medical qualities that are useful and some qualities that have to be controlled, (but) not as much as alcohol. Months to "get it right" is not difficult. They should call this "The Marijuana Waltz." Jack Vorauer Winnipeg [end]
Family finds drug paraphernalia tucked away in hotel room A Winnipeg hotel is changing protocols for housekeeping staff after a family found a syringe and "rocks" of drugs inside their room last weekend. Nicole Hamm said her husband Neil located drugs and paraphernalia hidden on a ledge underneath the bathroom sink of their Victoria Inn Winnipeg hotel room last Saturday. In photos and video posted to Facebook by Nicole Hamm, a syringe is visible, as are three white "rocks" of an undetermined substance placed in spoons. [continues 414 words]
RCMP add fentanyl protective gear Manitoba's 1,080 front-line RCMP officers are getting an added layer of protection in the fight against fentanyl and other opioid exposure in the province. The Manitoba government is investing nearly $54,000 on new personal protective equipment, which the RCMP say will be available to each of their front-line officers by the end of the year. The new equipment kit, paid for by the criminal property forfeiture fund, includes respiratory and eye protection. [continues 378 words]
MANITOBA RCMP officers are being equipped with special masks and goggles to protect them in the event they're exposed to fentanyl, a potentially deadly synthetic opiate. They will also switch to black latex gloves instead of the standard-issue blue ones to better detect the white powder. Criminals are footing the bill. Justice Minister Heather Stefanson announced on Friday that the provincial government will spend nearly $54,000 from its criminal property forfeiture fund to equip more than 1,000 front-line Mounties with the new gear. Also included will be specialized drums to store evidence. [continues 329 words]
Initially slated to address the national opioid crisis, the majority of questions addressed during Friday's roundtable discussion centred on the legalization of recreational marijuana. Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire and Conservative Party of Canada health critic Rachael Harder headed the roundtable discussion at the Trails West Inn, whose question period quickly pushed aside the opioid crisis, which hasn't impacted Brandon as heavily as it has some other areas of the nation. There were 2,458 opioid-related deaths in Canada last year, of which 24 were in Manitoba. [continues 578 words]
Re: Pot legalization on agenda. Let's first get alcohol and its deadly effects under control, prior to the legalization of marijuana. I really question Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's sanity in this area. Why mix gasoline with dynamite? Donald Munroe (Most Canadians are OK with legalized pot.) [end]
Educational materials put together for Canadians When Canada legalizes cannabis, Canadian athletes of all levels-including those vying for or competing in the Canada Games-will still have to be careful not to contravene anti-doping rules. Glen Bergeron, who teaches kinesiology and applied health at the University of Winnipeg, is part of an ad hoc committee with the Canadian Centre of Ethics and Sport "discussing this issue at the national level." "The issue is that cannabis is a banned substance on the international banned substance list," Bergeron said. "We need to be able to educate these athletes that it may be legal to use, but it's still regarded as a banned substance." [continues 299 words]
NDP says government-run Liquor Marts best initial option THE Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba will likely be the province's regulator for cannabis, although Justice Minister Heather Stefanson said "nothing is off the table," 11 months before Canadians will be able to legally buy it over the counter. Stefanson spoke with reporters Thursday, shortly after the Conservative government announced it had issued an expression of interest to determine how best to deal with the issues stemming from Ottawa's plan to enact the new law July 1. [continues 568 words]
Judge 'troubled' but forced to lock up single mother of four children PLANS to appeal a mandatory minimum sentence as unconstitutional are on the horizon for a Winnipeg mother who is now behind bars despite the judge's declaration that justice would not be served by locking her up. Sandra Dignard, 37, was taken into custody Wednesday to start serving her two-year federal prison sentence for smuggling drugs into Stony Mountain prison five years ago. She tearfully said goodbye to her young son and pleaded with other relatives to take good care of all four of her children before sheriff's officers led her away, out of view of her family. [continues 833 words]
Winnipeg shows highest rate in country Violent crimes are on the rise in Winnipeg and police are pointing their fingers at drug trafficking and new technology. The violent crime rate and - property crime rate - both rose by eight per cent from 2015, according to the Winnipeg Police Service's 2016 annual statistical report released Monday. Statistics Canada also released data on the national crime rate, which shows that Winnipeg's violent crime rate is the highest in Canada. Organized drug networks have "contributed to some of the increases of violence," said police chief Danny Smyth. Also, some drug users are turning to crime to feed their habits. [continues 151 words]
WILL you partake? That's a reasonable question given the upcoming legalization of marijuana, but it's only one of many questions that will arise. The legalization of a recreational drug is extremely rare and it will challenge both the Pallister government and individual Manitobans with unaccustomed issues. The government is dealing only with legalities, leaving individuals on their own to resolve the personal, family and social issues that will come with legal marijuana. At their meeting in Edmonton last week, the premiers mulled questions such as: where and how will it be sold? What will be the legal age to partake? How will courts prosecute drugged driving, given that breathalyzers don't work with marijuana intoxication? How many plants will gardeners be allowed to grow on their own? [continues 616 words]
The Manitoba government is seeking out private input on who should sell legal pot and how they should do so. But Justice Minister Heather Stefanson said public sales haven't been ruled out and the Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba is "pretty likely" to wind up regulating the industry. The province issued an expression of interest Thursday to determine options for the distribution and sale of cannabis. "No options are off the table right now. We are opening this up to get more ideas on how to do this," Stefanson said. [continues 430 words]
Inside Manitoba
