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This fall Canada will end 95 years of prohibition when recreational marijuana becomes legal. The social changes associated with the transformation of a banned drug into a recreational substance sold with the sanction of the state will unfold for years.
But here’s what you can expect in Ottawa the day prohibition ends:
You will be able to buy marijuana legally, but it might not be easy
A subsidiary of the LCBO called the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp. will sell recreational marijuana both online and in stores. The LCBO will be ready for legalization, a spokesperson said Wednesday.
It hasn’t announced yet how many stores will be in Ottawa. The public will be given a chance to comment on proposed locations.
However, there will be a total of 40 stores opened in 2018 spread among 29 communities across the province. So simple math suggests that Ottawa may initially get one, two or maybe three stores.
They’d better have large parking lots. Expect lineups. Ottawa now has about 20 illegal dispensaries doing brisk business.
The Ontario Cannabis Stores will also be relatively small, at around 2,500 square feet, just slightly bigger than the city’s smallest LCBO at St. Laurent Shopping Centre.
The Cannabis Retail Corp. will sell online, too, with customers showing ID and signing for packages at their door. But most pot consumers say they prefer to shop at a store, according to a recent survey of Canadians by Deloitte that estimated 35 per cent of recreational cannabis sales will be online.
There may also be a pot shortage at first. Medical cannabis producers across Canada are ramping up production as fast as they can to supply the recreational market. But many in the cannabis industry doubt the growers can produce enough to keep shelves stocked for the first few months.
“There will be a shortage when the bell rings,” says Vic Neufeld, chief executive of Aphria, one of the largest producers.
However, he says that won’t last long. “If you only believe half the press releases of my competing licensed producers, if they grow even half of what they are saying, by about June to September of 2019 there will be a surplus.”
Don’t expect to buy a vape pen or a pot brownie, for now
Only dried or fresh cannabis and cannabis oil will be on sale at first.
The oil can be used in cooking, so you can legally make your own brownies. But you won’t be able to buy them already baked for awhile. Concentrated forms of cannabis and edible products will be on sale within a year after legalization. It’s not known what products the government will allow. They could include baked goods, candies and beverages. Don’t expect chocolate bars, though: it’s illegal to mix cannabis and caffeine in the same product. And gummy bears are probably out, since the law prohibits products that could appeal to youth.
You can also buy your bong at the Ontario Cannabis Store, since cannabis accessories will be sold there.
So what will happen to illegal dispensaries?
The provincial government has promised to shut down the dispensaries, and has passed a tough new law to make that easier. Police will be allowed to shut the doors of stores illegally selling cannabis. Police say it’s difficult now to prevent dispensaries from operating because while they have raided some and charged clerks with drug trafficking, often the shops reopen.
The Ontario law also includes heavy fines and possible jail time for people who sell or distribute cannabis and for the landlords who rent to them. The fines for corporate landlords are up to $2 million on a first offence and $500,000 a day on a second offence.
The provincial law will go into effect the same day the federal Cannabis Act is in force, says Ontario Attorney General Yasir Naqvi. That’s Oct. 17, the federal government has announced.
Some dispensaries will close before then. The landlord at a Preston Street dispensary told this newspaper he will make sure his tenant is gone by the time the new laws go into effect. Two managers of dispensaries that cater to medical patients say they plan to close rather than face the crackdown.
But it’s anyone’s guess what will happen at the majority of Ottawa’s pot shops. Staff routinely say they don’t know or can’t reveal the names of the managers and owners who might be able to provide that information.
The Citizen dropped by three of the shops Wednesday, where staff said they would pass on a message to the not-to-be-named managers. No one called back.
One friendly young budtender at The Hemp Company on Merivale Road was wearing an ironic T-shirt imprinted with the THC warning symbol the government has designed for legal pot packages. He said he hopes the store stays open, because it helps many medical patients who use cannabis for pain and other ailments.
At the CannaLife on Preston Street, the clerk said he’d only worked there a short time and didn’t know the name of the man who hired him.
OK, you’ve bought legal weed. Where can you smoke it?
Not in most places. Ontario has banned recreational cannabis consumption in public places, workplaces, childcare centres, vehicles and boats. Basically, you can indulge in a private home. Which is straightforward if you happen to own your home. However, if you live in an apartment, condo or student residence, it’s more complicated. Smoking and vaping pot is banned at university and college residences and common areas of apartments and condos.
You may be able to smoke in an apartment or condo if the landlord or condo board allows it. But landlords can ban pot smoking in units, says Ottawa lawyer Trina Fraser. It just cannot be retroactive. “If a landlord doesn’t have a lease that prohibits smoking or cannabis (use) they will be stuck as long as that lease is in place. For any new lease they can add all sorts of clauses prohibiting whatever they want.”
(People with authorization for medical marijuana are a different matter; landlords have a duty to reasonably accommodate medical conditions.)
Critics point out that some people will have no place to light up. Also, restricting pot use to privately owned homes may expose children who live there to second-hand smoke. Ontario said it would study the idea of cannabis lounges as well as allowing owners of multi-unit dwellings to designate areas outside for people to smoke pot. It asked for public comment on both ideas, but it’s not known what direction the new Conservative government will take on the issue.
Ontario has also opened the door to pot tourism by allowing non-smoked or vaped cannabis in hotels, motels, inns and boats that are docked.
What happens if you walk down the street smoking a joint?
The smell of pot is now common on Ottawa’s major streets, in some parks and at music festivals. It’s illegal, of course, but Ottawa police say they generally do not arrest people who are strolling down the street smoking a joint. Marijuana possession charges are usually laid in conjunction with other offences: for instance, if police stop a driver for dangerous driving and find cannabis and other drugs.
When pot is legal, smoking pot in public will become a provincial offence, not prosecuted under the criminal code. You might get a ticket.
Can you grow pot at home?
Yes, up to four plants per residence, no matter how many people live there.
Don’t take your kids along to the pot shop and other rules not found at the LCBO
Ontario’s pot stores will be run by a branch of the LCBO, but the rules are stricter. You won’t be able to take your kids along while you pick up a package of pot. No minors will be allowed in cannabis stores. You will probably be asked to show ID at a reception area, not at the cash register.
You won’t be able to purchase as much as you want, either. It will be illegal to possess more than 30 grams of pot in public. You can have as much as you want at home, though. So if you want to buy a lot, you’ll have to make several trips to the store.
Beware the strict rules for sharing pot with minors, even if they are your kids
Some parents may share a beer or a glass of wine at dinner with their underage teenagers, which is allowed under liquor regulations. But it will not be legal to share a joint with them. Providing cannabis to a minor is a serious offence with a maximum sentence of 14 years in jail.
The same goes for anyone of legal age who shares cannabis with a minor.
The Senate attempted to amend the Cannabis Act by lessening penalties for “social sharing” of pot between people close in age: a 19-year-old who shares a joint with a 17-year-old, for instance. However, the changes were not accepted by the government.
Will police be able to conduct random roadside tests to check for stoned drivers?
That’s in limbo. The government’s Bill C-46, the “sister legislation” accompanying the law that legalizes recreational pot, would give police new powers to demand a roadside breath test from any driver they had legally stopped.
The Senate amended the bill to remove the roadside testing provision, but the government wants it to remain. House Leader Bardish Chagger said she hopes to have the government’s version of Bill C-46 adopted by the end of the week, when the House adjourns for the summer.
With a file from Joanne Laucius
jmiller@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JacquieAMiller
查看原文...
But here’s what you can expect in Ottawa the day prohibition ends:
You will be able to buy marijuana legally, but it might not be easy
A subsidiary of the LCBO called the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp. will sell recreational marijuana both online and in stores. The LCBO will be ready for legalization, a spokesperson said Wednesday.
It hasn’t announced yet how many stores will be in Ottawa. The public will be given a chance to comment on proposed locations.
However, there will be a total of 40 stores opened in 2018 spread among 29 communities across the province. So simple math suggests that Ottawa may initially get one, two or maybe three stores.
They’d better have large parking lots. Expect lineups. Ottawa now has about 20 illegal dispensaries doing brisk business.
The Ontario Cannabis Stores will also be relatively small, at around 2,500 square feet, just slightly bigger than the city’s smallest LCBO at St. Laurent Shopping Centre.
The Cannabis Retail Corp. will sell online, too, with customers showing ID and signing for packages at their door. But most pot consumers say they prefer to shop at a store, according to a recent survey of Canadians by Deloitte that estimated 35 per cent of recreational cannabis sales will be online.
There may also be a pot shortage at first. Medical cannabis producers across Canada are ramping up production as fast as they can to supply the recreational market. But many in the cannabis industry doubt the growers can produce enough to keep shelves stocked for the first few months.
“There will be a shortage when the bell rings,” says Vic Neufeld, chief executive of Aphria, one of the largest producers.
However, he says that won’t last long. “If you only believe half the press releases of my competing licensed producers, if they grow even half of what they are saying, by about June to September of 2019 there will be a surplus.”
Don’t expect to buy a vape pen or a pot brownie, for now
Only dried or fresh cannabis and cannabis oil will be on sale at first.
The oil can be used in cooking, so you can legally make your own brownies. But you won’t be able to buy them already baked for awhile. Concentrated forms of cannabis and edible products will be on sale within a year after legalization. It’s not known what products the government will allow. They could include baked goods, candies and beverages. Don’t expect chocolate bars, though: it’s illegal to mix cannabis and caffeine in the same product. And gummy bears are probably out, since the law prohibits products that could appeal to youth.
You can also buy your bong at the Ontario Cannabis Store, since cannabis accessories will be sold there.
So what will happen to illegal dispensaries?
The provincial government has promised to shut down the dispensaries, and has passed a tough new law to make that easier. Police will be allowed to shut the doors of stores illegally selling cannabis. Police say it’s difficult now to prevent dispensaries from operating because while they have raided some and charged clerks with drug trafficking, often the shops reopen.
The Ontario law also includes heavy fines and possible jail time for people who sell or distribute cannabis and for the landlords who rent to them. The fines for corporate landlords are up to $2 million on a first offence and $500,000 a day on a second offence.
The provincial law will go into effect the same day the federal Cannabis Act is in force, says Ontario Attorney General Yasir Naqvi. That’s Oct. 17, the federal government has announced.
Some dispensaries will close before then. The landlord at a Preston Street dispensary told this newspaper he will make sure his tenant is gone by the time the new laws go into effect. Two managers of dispensaries that cater to medical patients say they plan to close rather than face the crackdown.
But it’s anyone’s guess what will happen at the majority of Ottawa’s pot shops. Staff routinely say they don’t know or can’t reveal the names of the managers and owners who might be able to provide that information.
The Citizen dropped by three of the shops Wednesday, where staff said they would pass on a message to the not-to-be-named managers. No one called back.
One friendly young budtender at The Hemp Company on Merivale Road was wearing an ironic T-shirt imprinted with the THC warning symbol the government has designed for legal pot packages. He said he hopes the store stays open, because it helps many medical patients who use cannabis for pain and other ailments.
At the CannaLife on Preston Street, the clerk said he’d only worked there a short time and didn’t know the name of the man who hired him.
OK, you’ve bought legal weed. Where can you smoke it?
Not in most places. Ontario has banned recreational cannabis consumption in public places, workplaces, childcare centres, vehicles and boats. Basically, you can indulge in a private home. Which is straightforward if you happen to own your home. However, if you live in an apartment, condo or student residence, it’s more complicated. Smoking and vaping pot is banned at university and college residences and common areas of apartments and condos.
You may be able to smoke in an apartment or condo if the landlord or condo board allows it. But landlords can ban pot smoking in units, says Ottawa lawyer Trina Fraser. It just cannot be retroactive. “If a landlord doesn’t have a lease that prohibits smoking or cannabis (use) they will be stuck as long as that lease is in place. For any new lease they can add all sorts of clauses prohibiting whatever they want.”
(People with authorization for medical marijuana are a different matter; landlords have a duty to reasonably accommodate medical conditions.)
Critics point out that some people will have no place to light up. Also, restricting pot use to privately owned homes may expose children who live there to second-hand smoke. Ontario said it would study the idea of cannabis lounges as well as allowing owners of multi-unit dwellings to designate areas outside for people to smoke pot. It asked for public comment on both ideas, but it’s not known what direction the new Conservative government will take on the issue.
Ontario has also opened the door to pot tourism by allowing non-smoked or vaped cannabis in hotels, motels, inns and boats that are docked.
What happens if you walk down the street smoking a joint?
The smell of pot is now common on Ottawa’s major streets, in some parks and at music festivals. It’s illegal, of course, but Ottawa police say they generally do not arrest people who are strolling down the street smoking a joint. Marijuana possession charges are usually laid in conjunction with other offences: for instance, if police stop a driver for dangerous driving and find cannabis and other drugs.
When pot is legal, smoking pot in public will become a provincial offence, not prosecuted under the criminal code. You might get a ticket.
Can you grow pot at home?
Yes, up to four plants per residence, no matter how many people live there.
Don’t take your kids along to the pot shop and other rules not found at the LCBO
Ontario’s pot stores will be run by a branch of the LCBO, but the rules are stricter. You won’t be able to take your kids along while you pick up a package of pot. No minors will be allowed in cannabis stores. You will probably be asked to show ID at a reception area, not at the cash register.
You won’t be able to purchase as much as you want, either. It will be illegal to possess more than 30 grams of pot in public. You can have as much as you want at home, though. So if you want to buy a lot, you’ll have to make several trips to the store.
Beware the strict rules for sharing pot with minors, even if they are your kids
Some parents may share a beer or a glass of wine at dinner with their underage teenagers, which is allowed under liquor regulations. But it will not be legal to share a joint with them. Providing cannabis to a minor is a serious offence with a maximum sentence of 14 years in jail.
The same goes for anyone of legal age who shares cannabis with a minor.
The Senate attempted to amend the Cannabis Act by lessening penalties for “social sharing” of pot between people close in age: a 19-year-old who shares a joint with a 17-year-old, for instance. However, the changes were not accepted by the government.
Will police be able to conduct random roadside tests to check for stoned drivers?
That’s in limbo. The government’s Bill C-46, the “sister legislation” accompanying the law that legalizes recreational pot, would give police new powers to demand a roadside breath test from any driver they had legally stopped.
The Senate amended the bill to remove the roadside testing provision, but the government wants it to remain. House Leader Bardish Chagger said she hopes to have the government’s version of Bill C-46 adopted by the end of the week, when the House adjourns for the summer.
With a file from Joanne Laucius
jmiller@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JacquieAMiller
查看原文...
