Nova Scotians thinking that next July they'll be able to nip down to the corner pot shop whenever they want, might want to chill until they see the province's plan.

Cannabis will be legal next summer, but the rules and regulations are yet to come and Nova Scotia, along with the other Atlantic Provinces, will create tightly controlled, strictly regulated environments.

Last week, the province wrapped up its online survey asking Nova Scotian for opinions on a variety of questions about cannabis control and access.

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For months, Ralph (all names have been changed), neighbour to my friend The Chairman, has left his house only for doctor visits and a couple of hospital stints.

That's not for lack of trying. Prescribed mind-numbing meds put the former coal miner into a fog. Several times he insisted that he needed to go outside, rolled his wheelchair to the front door, tried to stand but instead tumbled, like laundry out of a basket, like a milk bottle smashed on the floor.

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Austin wants Victoria County to get fair share of economic growth

With federal legalization of recreational cannabis less than nine months away, these are interesting times for an Economic Development Officer (EDO) in Cape Breton.

"I've been watching this for a while and looking for economic opportunities so the County of Victoria gets its fair share of economic growth from it," said Victoria County Economic Development Officer Patrick Austin.

Austin was instrumental in launching a broad-based conversation concerning the economic impacts of legalization for Cape Breton. He and colleagues from the Cape Breton Partnership gathered business owners, legislators, regulators, public health and safety authorities for the recent Atlantic Cannabis Forum held in Membertou, Nov. 1-2.

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When it comes time for your monthly uterine massacre, you bet Mary Jane has your back-and anywhere else that aches whilst surfing the crimson wave. Here are the cannabis products that my co-workers and partner can thank for not being murdered by me once every three weeks.

1 Arthritis balm from Cannalife Botanicals

Ever heard of our bodies' endocannabinoid system? It regulates mood, memory, appetite, pain and inflammation, while co-piloting the immune, reproductive, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. The 100-plus chemical compounds cannabis is made up of (like psychoactive THC, and CBD which helps with pain) fit into different endocannabinoid system cell receptors like brokenhearted BFF lockets.

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Survey says majority won't buy marijuana when legalized

Pot doesn't look like it will be popular in this province when it's finally legalized.

A new survey released Tuesday says the vast majority of Nova Scotians don't plan to buy marijuana for personal use once it's legalized in Canada.

In a media release, Corporate Research Associates (CRA) said only one in five Nova Scotians (19 per cent) intend to buy marijuana at least occasionally for personal use once it's legalized.

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Cannabis forum attracts businesspeople, politicians, individuals

It's still unclear how it will be distributed in Nova Scotia, but with the legalization of cannabis across Canada due by July, businesses, municipalities and individuals are considering how they can best respond.

About 75 people attended Thursday's Atlantic Cannabis Forum hosted by the Cape Breton Partnership at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre Thursday.

While the Trudeau Liberal federal government introduced legislation to legalize cannabis earlier this year, to date only Ontario and New Brunswick have unveiled what their distribution models will look like.

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Claims it's racist

HALIFAX * A Halifax councillor says he will no longer use the term "marijuana" because it is racist, sparking a social media debate over the well-used synonym for cannabis.

Coun. Shawn Cleary said a police officer he works with on a cannabis legalization task force recently brought it to his attention that the term has a racist history.

Cleary said in the early 1900s during the criminalization of cannabis in the U.S., "marijuana" was used to demonize marginalized communities, namely Mexicans.

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To the editor:

Monday's editorial about PM Justin Trudeau facing an "uphill battle" in respect to pushing through cannabis legislation next summer seems to coincide with the recent discovery of a magazine I found in my doctor's waiting room.

It is called "Drug Facts For Young People" and is a free publication by Regional Maple Leaf Communications Inc., of Edmonton.

A copy should be placed in every politician's briefcase and every student's backpack.

Here are a few excerpts:

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Mayors call for more support for cannabis legalization

New Glasgow Mayor Nancy Dicks was one of a group of Atlantic mayors who want a stronger voice when it comes to decisions around the legalization of marijuana.

She and the other community leaders associated with the Atlantic Mayors' Congress believe municipalities in the region need more support and information as the legalization of marijuana in Canada approaches.

While attending the Atlantic Mayors' Congress meeting from Oct. 18 to 20, Dicks signed a joint resolution requesting that the provincial and federal governments co-operate with municipalities in Atlantic Canada to prepare for the legalization of marijuana.

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A new school year is underway and the race is on to deliver a drug and alcohol-free message to children in Cumberland County.

Grade 5 students attending Springhill's two elementary schools, schools in Amherst and neighbouring Northport joined forces to participate in this year's Racing Against Drugs. Sponsored by the Amherst Lions and Lioness Clubs and Amherst Police, community partners like Maggie's Place, Amherst Restorative Justice and many more delivered healthy living messages while empowering students with knowledge through fun.

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Nova Scotia will be launching its public consultations for marijuana legalization within days, with results expected to be compiled and released before the end of the year, the premier's office has confirmed.

Of the Atlantic provinces, Nova Scotia is the last to launch its consultations, which will include telephone and online surveys. P.E.I. just completed an online consultation, garnering around 3,000 responses, Newfoundland released a report of its consultation period in August, and New Brunswick - the furthest along - last month announced its framework for legalization, including plans to follow Ontario in creating a Crown corporation to oversee all pot sales.

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A RCMP officer's decision to arrest and search two people because he could smell fresh marijuana in the vehicle has resulted in drug and weapon charges being dismissed against an Ingonish couple.

Provincial court Judge Peter Ross ruled Monday that it is widely held that police officers can give evidence on what they detect or recognize by smell.

"But difficulties arise when the police claim to be able to recognize this particular smell (raw marijuana) as a basis for arrest, with no other supporting grounds," said the judge. Ross ruled that the seizure of the marijuana and the arrest of the two individuals violated their rights not to be arbitrarily detained and to be protected from unreasonable search. The decision meant that items seized would not be admitted into evidence at trial.

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A lot of sides want a piece of the action - not surprising considering the high hopes many have for profits in selling legal marijuana.

What provinces decide about the matter is coming very much under scrutiny these days, particularly after Ontario announced rules that put sales entirely in government hands - much to the chagrin of the private sector. The province will sell the product, when legal as of next July, through the corporation that sells liquor, the LCBO, although in separate outlets.

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When it comes to two of the big policy battles that loom as the fall sitting of Parliament gets underway this week, prudence dictates that a journalist keeps his or her powder dry.

In the debate over the government's proposed tax changes for people with private corporations, as in the case of the Liberal plan to legalize marijuana, what we have so far seen are just the opening manoeuvres in a tug-of-war, the outcome of which in the court of public opinion is far from decided.

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NDP leadership candidate Jagmeet Singh's recent promise that, as prime minister, he would move quickly to drop criminal penalties for possession or purchase of small amounts of all drugs will no doubt seem radical to many.

Broad-based decriminalization would beast ark reversal after decades of increasingly punitive policies. And this would certainly add a layer of complication to the already complicated task of legalizing marijuana, which Ottawa and the provinces are struggling to do by next summer. The Trudeau government' s current position on decriminalization is understandable: Ottawa already has its hands full with pot.

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We need to figure out how to sell weed in Nova Scotia - we also need to get more stores to sell healthy food.

Maybe we can use one problem to solve the other: allow stores to sell weed if they also offer a minimum quantity and quality of fruit and vegetables.

Access to healthy food is a major problem in Halifax. Getting to a store that sells broccoli can be a struggle for residents in Harrietsfield, Middle Musquodoboit and parts of urban neighbourhoods like Spryfield and north-end Halifax and Dartmouth.

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I don't really know where to go with this other than The Coast, since you appreciate input from us random faces in the crowds, and it shows. I recently stumbled across this article on the Metro chain's Halifax website: "Woman high on weed in wreck that killed grandkids." That is terrifying news as our country is striving to make marijuana legal, so I clicked and read briefly into the article-only to realize it was a poor copy-paste job from an Associated Press story that omitted half the information.

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Government, business community and advocacy groups have varied opinions

As the deadline for the federal government's move to legalize marijuana in July 2018 approaches, users, stakeholders, business people and politicians involved in the matter offer a variety of concerns.

Hank Merchant, CEO of HBB Medical, a medical marijuana dispensary, welcomes the introduction of guidelines and regulations on the sale of marijuana, "because there are people who have no qualms about operating outside the law."

"We, as medical marijuana dispensaries, don't do that," Merchant added.

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Harm reduction is one kind of treatment approach for helping people with substance abuse disorders and it can be confusing for people not familiar with it.

"Sometimes people think it's abstinence versus harm reduction but that isn't true," said Laura Chapman, health promotion specialist with Mental Health and Addiction Services.

"Harm reduction absolutely includes abstinence."

Chapman and many other clinical therapists, counsellors and other professionals working directly with people suffering from substance abuse disorders feel harm reduction is an important tool.

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With the release of Ontario's marijuana legalization framework on Friday, Nova Scotia's opposition is concerned the provincial government is dragging its heels.

The first province to have constructed a comprehensive legalization plan, Ontario's framework includes plans to open 150 standalone stores, and to have the province's liquor control board oversee all recreational pot sales.

Ottawa will legalize pot by July 2018 but has left it up to the individual provinces to design their own distributions.

So far, the Nova Scotia government has been tight-lipped on its plans surrounding legalization, but Progressive Conservative Pictou West MLA and opposition justice critic Karla MacFarlane said they need to start talking.

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