Province to announce how it will regulate legal pot
Posted February 5, 2018 7:24 am.
Last Updated February 5, 2018 10:17 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – If your shopping list includes a bottle of wine and a bag of weed this summer, it sounds like you’ll have to make separate stops.
With Victoria set to announce how it plans to regulate recreational marijuana in BC once it’s legalized, there are reports it won’t be sold in liquor stores.
Instead, it will apparently be distributed through both public and private cannabis retail outlets.
Solicitor General Mike Farnworth will be making an announcement about recreational marijuana regulation early this afternoon in Victoria and pot activist Jodie Emery would like to see the legitimization of the current grey market for medicinal marijuana in BC.
“Most people who use cannabis would love to see the dispensaries that exist be adopted, legalized, and licensed. We are hoping that private enterprise gets to control the retail sales because that is a long-established model that benefits the community,” she tells NEWS 1130.
“It creates jobs and helps entrepreneurs find a way into a new business model that is supposed to allow for an inclusive system.”
Emery’s biggest concern is that anyone with a criminal record for trafficking marijuana will be excluded from retailing recreational weed.
“I currently have a giant trafficking record even though I only oversaw a franchise for 10 months. People like me are non-violent criminals and we have been fighting for legalization for decades. All we want is to be legal and allowed to participate. I hope the model they propose will allow those who already exist in the industry now to transition into full legality.”
Ottawa is set to legalize recreational marijuana in Canada in July.
What will the announcement mean for renters?
Meanwhile, we’re learning renters across BC may still be banned from smoking it–or trying to grow their own plants at home.
Part of today’s announcement is being embraced by the head of group representing landlords.
David Hutniak, who’s the CEO of Landlord BC, says a key concern is about safety because fires are easily sparked by electricity overloads.
“Growing it produces additional humidity. How it’s ultimately cultivated tends to be not overly sophisticated. It’s dried in the oven. The real concern around being able to insure your property–people who rent out entire homes, you know, mortgage holders looking at this less than favourably.”
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth is expected to announce more details this afternoon which will likely include restrictions on liquor stores selling pot.
