Skip to content

Criminal prohibition of cannabis is failing to protect our kids: Blair

Today, there’ll be no uptick of people smoking weed nor will there be a massive police crackdown of the black market that’s been controlling the soft drug since 1925.
blair
Bill Blair, Canada’s minister of border security and organized crime reduction, was in Coquitlam last Thursday to talk with fellow Liberal MP Ron McKinnon (Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam) to community representatives.

Today, there’ll be no uptick of people smoking weed nor will there be a massive police crackdown of the black market that’s been controlling the soft drug since 1925.

Those are the words from Canada’s minister of border security and organized crime reduction, who spoke in Coquitlam last Thursday about the roll out of cannabis legalization.

Bill Blair — a longtime police officer who, before being elected to federal politics, served as Toronto Police chief — was invited by Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam MP Ron McKinnon to talk to a select group of community members to dispel fears about the sweeping public policy change.

His stops in other Metro Vancouver municipalities that day — to present the same message — also included a visit with Port Coquitlam MLA Mike Farnworth, B.C.’s Solicitor General and public safety minister who’s responsible for defining the rules on use, possession and sale of pot in the province.

In Coquitlam, Blair’s points about the federal government’s new direction were clear: Canada has a serious problem with cannabis use — especially among minors, many now with criminal records — and the illicit trade of the commodity has meant a $8-billion loss to the GDP.

To fight back, Blair said, the federal government will strictly regulate cannabis by ensuring people know what they’re consuming — with clear labels on the packaging — and putting tough measures in place to penalize those who sell to children; it has amended the Criminal Code of Canada to allow courts to sentence dealers who sell to kids up to 14 years in jail.

Blair said the federal government will invest its profit share into public education and rehabilitation.

“Just Say No and Reefer Madness didn’t work and I think it’s time to have a different approach,” Blair said, adding, “criminal prohibition is failing to protect our kids.”

hanna

Hanna Metcalfe, supervisor of outreach programs for Access Youth Outreach Services, told Blair she works with teens who are gaining medical marijuana with their parents’ green cards; she wondered how legalization will affect them.

And Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart said municipalities don’t have enough tools yet to set standards for cannabis retail outlets and to fund extra policing costs.

While Blair said he’s “sympathetic…. the new regulations coming in are there,” he told Stewart. “I’m encouraging everybody to work together and share the resources.”

jcleugh@tricitynews.com

•••••••••••••

It may be awhile before you can purchase legal cannabis in the Tri-Cities because municipal bylaws are not in place to permit them.

However, the cities are tackling the issue —first, by getting public feedback. Here is a round up of where they are:

COQUITLAM: The city is developing a Cannabis Legalization Framework, which has been identified as a priority in its business plan.

PORT COQUITLAM: The city is consulting with cannabis industry representatives, local businesses and the broader community on regulations and policies for land-use decision for the production and retail sale of cannabis.

PORT MOODY: The city plans a stakeholder meeting with potential store owners and operators next month, with public feedback in January.

Among the issues the cities are tackling are how far away from schools they should be, signage, air filtration systems, and banning of cannabis sampling.

dstrandberg@tricitynews.com