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Vision 麻豆传媒映画Coun. Kerry Jang and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth spoke to reporters Monday about the provincial government鈥檚 launch of a public consultation exercise on how soon-to-be legal 鈥渘on-medicinal cannabis鈥� should be regulated in B.C. Photo Dan Toulgoet
So maybe you heard 鈥� Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth wants you to share your views on how the provincial government should regulate distribution and retail sales of what they call 鈥渘on-medical cannabis.鈥�
In other words, recreational marijuana 鈥� a description of the popular plant I always find funny, since recreation to most people means going for a bike ride, maybe a canoe trip or a hike. But B.C., as you鈥檝e probably smelled on your bike ride, canoe trip or hike, is not full of most people.
Proof: Ride your bike through the North Grandview Highway/Commercial Drive intersection around 4:20-ish.
I digress鈥�
With the feds set to legalize marijuana in Canada next July, Farnworth told us reporter types Monday that he wants residents to go online and tell him by Nov. 1 what new rules should be implemented. Some of you can expect phone calls for a survey.
The minister acknowledged it鈥檚 a tight timeline and that the government was playing 鈥渃atch up鈥� on getting new rules in place; he argued that crazy May 9 election and sorting out which party was in charge had something to do with the delay.
Farnworth, who announced the public consultation exercise in a ballroom at Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, said he wants recommendations on new rules ready to go for the February session of the B.C. legislature.
The government expects to hear from anybody and everybody with an opinion on this country鈥檚 most debated plant, including civic politicians, cops, farmers, First Nations, health experts and a cross-section of what he called 鈥渁 well-established鈥� cannabis industry in B.C.
He suggested that regulations could vary by municipality, although the age of who can legally buy marijuana from a legal outlet after July 2018 will be consistent across the province. The feds have said 18 is a good age but Farnworth pointed out the province could increase that to 19 to fall in line with liquor laws.
Will marijuana be sold in liquor stores? Corner stores? London Drugs?
All open questions.
As for what a retail model could look like, Farnworth mentioned Vancouver鈥檚 current scheme of regulating pot shops. Dispensaries have to meet certain criteria before receiving a business licence, which costs $30,000 per year. That criteria includes a pot shop being 300 metres from a school, owners signing a 鈥済ood neighbour agreement,鈥� criminal record checks for employees and a security plan.
鈥淪ome people are happy with that, others are not necessarily happy with that,鈥� Farnworth said. 鈥淧rince George may have a different approach. Port Coquitlam may have a different approach. What I鈥檓 hearing 鈥� and what we need to hear 鈥� is, 鈥楬ow do they see retail, for example, working in their communities?鈥欌��
So, you might be wondering as you go for a stroll around your neighbourhood and walk past a pot shop or two, what does Farnworth anticipate happening to all the dispensaries in 麻豆传媒映画once new provincial and federal rules become law?
I asked him.
鈥淪ome communities may say, 鈥榊es, we want dispensaries.鈥� Others may say, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 want dispensaries.鈥� They key question though, from my perspective, is that whatever retail model we have in place is a legal model, using legal product and that we get the black market out of it.鈥�
But, I followed up: 鈥淗ow do you get the black market out of it when the police chief of 麻豆传媒映画has clearly said that dispensaries are not a priority for him?鈥�
First, he replied, the feds have to put a framework in place that is the law of the land and clearly understood by the provincial government, which will set its own laws for compliance.
Farnworth: 鈥淚f you鈥檙e trying to subvert it, get around it, then you鈥檙e going to have problems. The police, of course, will deal with the law of the land, federally, provincially and at the local level.鈥�
Standing to Farnworth鈥檚 left at the newser was Vision 麻豆传媒映画Coun. Kerry Jang, who was later challenged by reporters in a scrum to answer why so many 麻豆传媒映画pot shops were still open under current laws that prohibit them. As of Sept. 12, a total of 65 pot shops were still flouting the city鈥檚 business licence regulations.
鈥淯nder the previous [B.C. Liberal] government, we tried to close them, we did everything we could under our land use powers and guess what: They didn鈥檛 make time to hear the case,鈥� Jang said. 鈥淲hen we have a proper enforcement system for all three levels of government, it鈥檚 fine.鈥�
More than two years after city council adopted new rules to reduce the number of dispensaries, only 12 have been given licences 鈥� seven retail and five 鈥渃ompassion clubs.鈥� More than 2,000 tickets have been issued and 53 injunctions have been filed in court. A total of 42 stores have either closed or are no longer selling marijuana.
鈥淭his is why legalization and this new scheme can鈥檛 come fast enough for me,鈥� Jang continued. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what the future holds 鈥� I really don鈥檛 know 鈥� and I think that鈥檚 the exciting thing about this. We have an opportunity now to make cannabis mainstream. Let鈥檚 make sure it works for everybody.鈥�
Regardless of what laws are passed, Farnworth dismissed any suggestion the government鈥檚 aim in all of this was to create a new revenue stream.
鈥淭his is about legalization and the best way to do it. It鈥檚 not about saying, 鈥極h, here鈥檚 a money grab in which we can get all kinds of revenue in and not have to worry about the consequences.鈥� It鈥檚 either done right, or it鈥檚 done wrong. The revenue issue is part of it, but that should not be the first and foremost consideration.鈥�
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