With the federal government looking at the legalization of marijuana by 2018, the North Island Tri-Port Mayors (Port Hardy, Port McNeill, and Port Alice) seem to all be on the same page regarding the subject.
Port Hardy Mayor Hank Bood has previously gone on record with the Gazette saying he’s interested in marijuana from an economic standpoint, and he wants to be “proactive and make sure we implement the requirements that make it a safe and viable operation in the District of Port Hardy.”
Bood has put together an Advisory Planning Commission which will be looking at subjects like regulating the zones in which marijuana can be dispensed, dispensaries proximity to other dispensaries, whether dispensaries can be combined with retail, if the dispensaries will be located close to schools, and more.
Port Alice Mayor Jan Allen stated she wouldn’t be opposed to someone opening a dispensary in the village if/when legalization happens, but it’s not something council is currently looking to make a reality anytime soon.
“We have bigger fish to fry,” said Allen, as the village is still dealing with the impact from Neucel Specialty Cellulose’s production curtailment that has been going on for over two years.
Port McNeill Mayor Shirley Ackland said they are going to wait and see what happens with regards to marijuana legalization. She added she has been supportive of dispensaries in the past, “and anytime you offer opportunities for medical services that help prevent people from accessing illegal substances is a good thing.”
Ackland said from her perspective, “I think it’s reasonable, and if it were legalized, we could consider a dispensary in Port McNeill, because we have lots of people who need to access different kinds of medical services.”
She noted marijuana “isn’t just a pleasure thing, it’s a really true and realistic option as a medical alternative.”
According to an article by Kristy Kirkup from the Canadian Press, adults 18 and older will be able to legally buy and cultivate small amounts of marijuana for personal use, while selling the drug to a minor will become a serious new criminal offence under the federal government’s proposed new legal-pot regime.
A suite of legislation would, once passed, establish a “strict legal framework” for the production, sale, distribution and possession of pot, and make it against the law to sell cannabis to youth or use a young person to commit a cannabis-related crime.
New penalties would range from a simple police citation to 14 years behind bars.
The new law would allow adults 18 and over to possess up to 30 grams of dried cannabis or its equivalent in public, share up to 30 grams of dried marijuana with other adults and buy cannabis or cannabis oil from a provincially regulated retailer.
They would also be permitted to grow up to four plants per residence for personal use, as well as make legal cannabis-containing products at home.
The government says it intends to bring other products, including pot-infused edibles, into the legalized sphere once federal regulations for production and sale are developed and brought into force.
Under the proposed Cannabis Act, it would remain illegal to import cannabis and cannabis products, and to export them without a valid permit.
Permits may be issued for certain purposes, such as medical cannabis and industrial hemp.
It would also be against the law to sell cannabis in a package or with a label that could be construed as appealing to young people, to include testimonials or endorsements, or to depict a person, character or animal.
The government also aims to establish “significant penalties” for those who engage young Canadians in “cannabis-related offences” and a “zero-tolerance approach” to drug-impaired driving, along with a “robust” public awareness campaign.
The RCMP and the Canadian Border Services Agency plan to work together, along with local police, to uphold laws governing illegal cross-border movement of cannabis.
It would also provide additional investment for licensing, inspection and enforcement challenges.
Provinces, territories and municipalities would be able to tailor rules for their own jurisdictions, enforcing them through mechanisms such as ticketing.
They will also be permitted to set their own licensing, distribution and retail sales rules, establish provincial zoning rules for cannabis businesses and change provincial traffic safety laws as they deem necessary.
Once passed, the bills introduced would make Canada the first member of the G7 to legalize marijuana for recreational use across the country.