It's difficult to analyze the impact of Ottawa's coming marijuana legislation with studies and numbers and examinations of other jurisdictions. This is the type of social legislation that sparks emotions that can't be allayed with pie charts. There are many thousands, if not millions, of Canadian parents worried this will make it easier for their children to find pot. On the other hand, an untold number of parents are likely to spark one up tonight to relax after the kids head to bed. [continues 684 words]
Canada's police services say there is zero chance they will be ready to enforce new laws for legalized marijuana by next summer. Officials from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Ontario Provincial Police and the Saskatoon Police Service are among dozens of witnesses testifying to the House of Commons health committee this week as it studies the government's bill to legalize marijuana. They said on Tuesday they need more time to properly train officers about the new laws and more than double the number of police officers who are certified to conduct roadside drug-impaired driving testing. There also needs to be more time for public education, the police said. [continues 499 words]
We're about to get legal marijuana, for heaven's sake. So why are they taking away over-the-counter painkillers with codeine? Of all the promises made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before the election, I'm not thrilled that legal pot is the one he chooses to keep (I'd have preferred electoral reform), but here we are, ready or not. Mostly not. Police chiefs are warning MPs in Ottawa this week that it could be "impossible" for law enforcement to get trained in time for legal marijuana, scheduled to begin next summer. They're asking for an extension of the deadline for legal pot. [continues 637 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]
Market needs legal structure, official says OTTAWA - Police are warning it could be "impossible" for law enforcement to get trained up in time for legal marijuana in July 2018. Testifying at a House of Commons health committee Tuesday, police leaders expressed concerns about the Liberal government's impending deadline to create a legal weed market. Organizations will need to know the new laws and regulations backwards and forwards before they can prepare their officers for duty, they said. Mike Serr, deputy chief constable and chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police drug advisory committee, said the government should consider extending its deadline. "We ask that established legislative framework be put in place prior to legalization that will provide law enforcement with clear direction and assistance regarding funding and training," he said. [continues 495 words]
No decision yet on whether marijuana sales will be through government outlets Saskatchewan's provincial government wants suggestions from the public on how to regulate recreational marijuana, since legalization appears to be a high priority for the federal government. Residents over the age of 18 are encouraged to take an anonymous survey on the Government of Saskatchewan's website between Sept. 8 and Oct. 6. Provincial attorney general Don Morgan said the federal government's timeline to have a legalized system in place by the end of June 2018 means the provincial government has to act fast. [continues 361 words]
Preparing for the legalization of marijuana nationwide next July, the Government of Saskatchewan is looking to gain public input. The provincial government will be conducting an online consultation survey from Sept. 8 to Oct. 6 with the goal of gauging public opinion on parts of the federal legislation that has been left up to the provinces. "The legalization of cannabis represents a big change," said Don Morgan, justice minister and attorney general. "We want to take the time to listen to and consult with the people of this province to ensure we implement the parts of this legislation that are under our control in a way that works for Saskatchewan." [continues 488 words]
OTTAWA - The Trudeau government has earmarked just over $274 million to support policing and border efforts associated with the plan to legalize recreational marijuana use. The government said Friday it is committing $161 million of the money to train front-line officers in how to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug-impaired driving, provide access to drug screening devices and educate the public. Some of these funds will help develop policy, bolster research and raise awareness about the dangers of drug-impaired driving. [continues 464 words]
Plan is to open 40 stores in 2018 when pot is legalized; eventual number to rise to 150 outlets TORONTO - Ontario is the first province out of the gate with a detailed plan to sell and distribute recreational marijuana when Ottawa legalizes it next summer. The plan comes with a government vow to shut down illegal storefront pot shops in cities across the province. The Liberal government announced Friday that it will sell marijuana in as many as 150 dedicated stores run by the province's liquor control board. Those looking to purchase marijuana when it becomes legal across the country will be subject to the same age and usage restrictions currently in place for alcohol, said Attorney General Yasir Naqvi. [continues 597 words]
A new online survey allows Saskatchewan residents to weigh in on what the province's marijuana regime should look like Saskatchewan residents can now share their thoughts on who should be able to buy, sell and grow marijuana, with just a few clicks on a government survey. Ottawa plans to legalize marijuana by July of 2018, but is leaving it up to the provinces to design their own regulatory system. The provincial government launched an online survey Friday to solicit public feedback. It's open to any Saskatchewan resident over the age of 18, and is set to run until October 6. [continues 593 words]
Ontario AG announces plans to put controls in place concerning sale of recreational marijuana It might well be the end of the world as we know it. Ontario Attorney General Yasir Naqvi's announcement on the legalization of marijuana - or cannabis as it's now being referred to - - next July 1, is considered fine by many recreational pot smokers. "If passed, the federal bill will set into motion a once-in-a-generation change for our society; the end of prohibition," Naqvi said at the press conference Friday. [continues 786 words]
Eighteen or 21? The age of legal pot consumption was a topic of debate at hearings on Thursday, with two medical associations at odds. The Canadian Pediatric Society said 18 should be the minimum age to legally purchase recreational marijuana when the federal government legalizes it by July 1, 2018. A few minutes later, the Federation des medecins specialistes du Quebec, representing medical specialists, said it should be 21. The two groups were among dozens of organizations presenting briefs at a provincial public consultation in Montreal on Thursday and Friday. [continues 565 words]
While it's a good idea for the Prince Edward Island government to seek public input on plans to legalize marijuana, the broad strokes of any such legislation are very likely already written. Last week, Premier Wade MacLauchlan said his government is seeking Islanders' thoughts on what cannabis legislation should look like, an engagement process that's long overdue since Ottawa tabled its intentions in early April to legalize and regulate cannabis by July 1, 2018. Legalization is a federal decision but many of the rules and regulations fall under provincial responsibility so the 10 provinces are scrambling to deal with Ottawa's proposals. Most complain the narrow window won't allow enough time to get proper public health, pubic safety and public education guidelines in place. [continues 394 words]
Government has consulted more than 50 organizations, list shows The province of Ontario has met with at least 50 organizations to seek their input on how it should handle the legalization of marijuana - groups ranging from the LCBO to Indigenous organizations to a policing group and local municipalities. On Friday, Attorney General Yasir Naqvi and other ministers are expected to provide some answers as to how the province is planning to deal with pot legalization, something the federal government is hoping to accomplish by July 2018. [continues 639 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]
A smoking syllabus to becoming the most productive pothead on campus. Harvard studies suggest cannabis enhances cognitive function. German studies conclude micro-dosing weed is an effective ADHD treatment. And with Canada's impending marijuana legalization, the "lazy stoner" stereotype is washing away, making room for the high-functioning user to spark up. Carefully chosen MMJ strains, dosage and smoke methods just might be your path to becoming most productive pothead on campus. Pre-class anxiety? Live every week like it's shark week with Great White Shark: This stimulating sativa offers an energizing high that melts away the anxiety in a room full of tutorial strangers. Great White's plant parents obliterate depression, stress and pain, so you can stay relaxed yet inspired while scoring full participation marks. Ren, a second-year NSCAD student with a nervous tummy, attributes her stellar grades to this potent strain. [continues 479 words]
Cannabis will not be the panacea everyone with an ailment is thinking it will be, says a local physician, and it is going to challenge law enforcement when it comes to impaired driving. "If there ever has been an issue in medicine as clouded by opinion and ignorance, it is medical cannabis," said Dr. Gaylord Wardell, anesthesiologist and pain specialist in Medicine Hat. The pro-cannabis forces have claimed everything from cancer cures to relief from pain but we don't actually have research to verify this, said Wardell. [continues 420 words]
A majority of interest groups want the government to sell cannabis through a Crown corporation like the NL Liquor Corp., whereas most members of the public want to see stand-alone stores selling marijuana once it's legalized. The issue of how legalized marijuana will be sold is shaping up to be one of the most thorny issues for the provincial government to address, based on a report on public sentiment around legalization. Today, the government is releasing a document summing up what people said in consultations marijuana legalization, as the province gets ready for full legalization next year. [continues 363 words]
In reply to Robert Sinclair's letter ("Gateway drug theory is flawed") defending the legalization of marijuana, and his refuting that weed may be a gateway to harder drugs, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, as late as April of this year, has stated that "an alternative to the gateway-drug hypothesis is that people who are more vulnerable to drug-taking are simply more likely to start with readily available substances such as marijuana, tobacco, or alcohol, and their subsequent social interactions with others who use drugs increases their chances of trying other drugs." [continues 240 words]
ER physician says no one knows best approach Two advocacy groups are at odds over whether blood testing should be done on motorists who are impaired by marijuana. While MADD Canada supports the federal proposal to measure the amount of THC in a driver's bloodstream, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) Canada has written to the federal government in opposition to the plan. "A blood level is absolutely useless," said Phillip Drum, a pharmacist who works with SAM as well as a U.S. group called Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana. "It's not the same molecule as alcohol. It's residing in the brain, not the bloodstream." [continues 489 words]
