Robert Celt
New Member
Premier Rachel Notley says she has mixed feelings about the Trudeau government's pledge to legalize marijuana even as a federal Liberal cabinet minister says action is coming soon on the campaign promise.
While some premiers are already musing about the best mechanism for legally selling pot, Notley said in an interview she's waiting to see how the federal government proceeds on legalization before responding.
"There are arguments on either side that are compelling," the NDP premier told the Herald last week.
"You know, there's sort of the comparison of marijuana to alcohol. But there's also the issue of the impact that it has on young people and its contribution to addictive behaviour and all that stuff."
Notley declined to give a personal opinion on legalization and said she hasn't had a chance to weigh the pros and cons of various policy options.
Justin Trudeau's Liberals campaigned during this fall's federal election on a pledge to legalize pot.
In the prime minister's mandate letter to his new justice minister following the Liberal victory on Oct. 19, Trudeau directed Jody Wilson-Raybould to work with the federal health and public safety ministers "to create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana."
Kent Hehr, Calgary Centre MP and veterans affairs minister in Trudeau's cabinet, said the Liberal government intends to move "relatively quickly" on the file.
He said the majority of people he's heard from are in favour of the move, but the Calgary lawyer acknowledges some concerns have been raised by Albertans about the pledge.
"They're mostly worried about kids and access to marijuana. Well, legalizing it ensures that it's more difficult to get," Hehr said.
"Legalizing it makes it a regulated product, make it controlled, gets criminals out of the business ... and as an added bonus, the government can raise a little revenue," he added.
"We're going to be working on this aggressively."
Trudeau recently said he did not expect legal marijuana to bring in a significant amount of revenue and suggested most tax dollars collected should go to addiction and support programs.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said last week that it would make sense for the province's government-run liquor stores to sell marijuana if the federal Liberals move ahead with legalization.
In Alberta, both the finance ministry and the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Authority say they are not developing any plans around taxation or regulation of legal marijuana.
NDP Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said the Alberta government is waiting for the federal government to make the first move on legalization.
She said there will undoubtedly be an impact on areas of provincial jurisdiction, but there are no preparations taking place at the moment.
"We don't know for sure how or when they're going to deal with that," said Ganley.
"Our hope would be that if they are going to make a change like that, that they're going to give us enough lead time that any regulations we need to develop will be able to be developed."
University of Calgary law professor Michael Nesbitt said legalizing marijuana is likely to be "very complicated."
Nesbitt said Ottawa could choose to keep marijuana regulated under the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, but make exemptions allowing actions such as small-scale possession.
It's more likely the federal government will take a broader – and more intricate – approach to legalization that will require significant consultations with the provinces and multiple federal agencies, he said.
"My guess is that some of the provinces are not going to like this because they're not going to like going through the process – and they're not going to want to come to one agreement with all the other provinces about how it should be done," said Nesbitt.
"Having said that, a big point of interest for them, obviously, will be tax revenue."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Alberta's Premier Cautious On Legalizing Marijuana
Author: James Wood
Contact: Calgary Herald
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Calgary Herald
While some premiers are already musing about the best mechanism for legally selling pot, Notley said in an interview she's waiting to see how the federal government proceeds on legalization before responding.
"There are arguments on either side that are compelling," the NDP premier told the Herald last week.
"You know, there's sort of the comparison of marijuana to alcohol. But there's also the issue of the impact that it has on young people and its contribution to addictive behaviour and all that stuff."
Notley declined to give a personal opinion on legalization and said she hasn't had a chance to weigh the pros and cons of various policy options.
Justin Trudeau's Liberals campaigned during this fall's federal election on a pledge to legalize pot.
In the prime minister's mandate letter to his new justice minister following the Liberal victory on Oct. 19, Trudeau directed Jody Wilson-Raybould to work with the federal health and public safety ministers "to create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana."
Kent Hehr, Calgary Centre MP and veterans affairs minister in Trudeau's cabinet, said the Liberal government intends to move "relatively quickly" on the file.
He said the majority of people he's heard from are in favour of the move, but the Calgary lawyer acknowledges some concerns have been raised by Albertans about the pledge.
"They're mostly worried about kids and access to marijuana. Well, legalizing it ensures that it's more difficult to get," Hehr said.
"Legalizing it makes it a regulated product, make it controlled, gets criminals out of the business ... and as an added bonus, the government can raise a little revenue," he added.
"We're going to be working on this aggressively."
Trudeau recently said he did not expect legal marijuana to bring in a significant amount of revenue and suggested most tax dollars collected should go to addiction and support programs.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said last week that it would make sense for the province's government-run liquor stores to sell marijuana if the federal Liberals move ahead with legalization.
In Alberta, both the finance ministry and the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Authority say they are not developing any plans around taxation or regulation of legal marijuana.
NDP Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said the Alberta government is waiting for the federal government to make the first move on legalization.
She said there will undoubtedly be an impact on areas of provincial jurisdiction, but there are no preparations taking place at the moment.
"We don't know for sure how or when they're going to deal with that," said Ganley.
"Our hope would be that if they are going to make a change like that, that they're going to give us enough lead time that any regulations we need to develop will be able to be developed."
University of Calgary law professor Michael Nesbitt said legalizing marijuana is likely to be "very complicated."
Nesbitt said Ottawa could choose to keep marijuana regulated under the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, but make exemptions allowing actions such as small-scale possession.
It's more likely the federal government will take a broader – and more intricate – approach to legalization that will require significant consultations with the provinces and multiple federal agencies, he said.
"My guess is that some of the provinces are not going to like this because they're not going to like going through the process – and they're not going to want to come to one agreement with all the other provinces about how it should be done," said Nesbitt.
"Having said that, a big point of interest for them, obviously, will be tax revenue."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Alberta's Premier Cautious On Legalizing Marijuana
Author: James Wood
Contact: Calgary Herald
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Calgary Herald
