GNWT silent on legal weed
Kam Lake MLA urges justice minister to give update on legalization plans
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The MLA for Kam Lake is urging the justice minister to start talking publicly about what legal recreational marijuana will look like in the territory.
Highlights of federal law
- Sales to be restricted to people 18 and older; territories/provinces could increase their own minimum age
- Those 18 and older to be allowed to publicly possess up to 30 grams of dried cannabis
- Sales by mail or courier through a federally licensed producer to be allowed in territories/provinces that lack regulated retail system.
- Adults 18 and older to be allowed to grow up to four cannabis plants per residence, with plants not to exceed one metre in height.
- Adults aged 18 and older to be allowed to produce legal cannabis products, such as food or drinks, for personal use at home.
- Initial sales to only be fresh and dried cannabis, cannabis oils and seeds and plants for cultivation. Sales of edibles will come after regulations for production and sale are developed.
- Possession, production and distribution outside legal system to remain illegal.
- Existing program for access to medical marijuana would continue as it currently exists.
- Laws to prohibit package designs that can be deemed to be appealing to young people.
- Cartoon characters or images that connect cannabis with glamorous or exciting lifestyle to be banned.
- Prison sentence of up to 14 years for providing cannabis to youth under 18
- New laws to be implemented no later than July 2018
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Kieron Testart made the comment on Monday, four days after the federal government introduced legislation to legalize marijuana. The Liberals say the new regulations should take effect no later than July 2018.
Testart said he wants to know how the territorial government is going to tackle sales and distribution of pot.
"It is shocking to me that our government is so hesitant to embrace this," he said. "I'm happy to talk about it because it doesn't appear anyone else from our government is going to, particularly the justice minister."
Testart said he is aware the territorial government is working on legalization, but expressed displeasure at the fact regular MLAs have not been included in any discussion about it yet.
Yellowknifer reached out to Justice Minister Louis Sebert, Premier Bob McLeod and the territorial goverment's interdepartmental working group on marijuana legalization late last week but were told no comment would be forthcoming at this time.
"We will be better able to respond to media requests once the group has met and the initial review has been completed," stated Department of Justice spokesperson Sue Glowach in an e-mail. She did not include a timeline for when the group would conduct this review. McLeod and Sebert also declined comment, and would not indicate a timeline for when they would talk to media about the subject.
Testart said that he thinks if it was left up to the territorial cabinet, there would not be legal pot in the NWT.
"I think … our government does not want to support it. They are doing it because Ottawa is making them do it," Testart said, calling the attitude "unfortunate."
Testart said he has asked the government about legal marijuana both in public and behind closed doors and the response has always been lacklustre.
"This is an opportunity would should be embracing, not giggling about it as if it's some throwback to stoner culture," Testart said. "This is a money issue and a public safety issue."
Testart said he believes the tax revenue that could be generated by legal marijuana could help a cash-strapped government. He also said he believes regulating the legal sale of marijuana will make communities safer by taking away profits from gangs that come to Yellowknife from the south to sell drugs.
Marijuana advocate Kim MacNearney agrees with Testart, saying she has no idea what legal weed will look like in the NWT because the government is simply not talking publicly about it or listening to what the public has to say on the issue.
"I did reach out to the government," she said. "They indicated they'd be happy to hear my opinion when it comes to the public consultation stage but gave no indication when that would be." MacNearney said she has also reached out to her MLA, Kevin O'Reilly of Frame Lake, who told her he will be asking about the issue when assembly sits again in May.
