Ontario has already decided how it will distribute recreational marijuana once it’s legal next summer. But many other provinces are in differing stages of identifying how this shift in federal drug policies and policing will be handled.
In B.C., consultation started Monday — with a reportedly swift and massive response — while municipalities are wondering how they will manage this change, especially in the area of zoning, policing and managing costs. Others wonder how potent the pot strains will be and if there will even be enough supply to meet demand.
All these questions and more suggest a lot of work needs to be done before this sea change in public policy comes to pass.
Perhaps the July 1, 2018 date should be aspirational, with a longer timeline for this process to unfold.
We agree with the legalization of marijuana to better control the substance and wrest profits away from criminals. But maybe the federal Liberal government timeline is simply unrealistic. Another six months or year of planning could make sure legalization is done properly.
