(Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
A strong majority of Canadians agree with
the Liberal government’s plan to legalize marijuana, and half of them
feel users should be able to grow their own pot at home, a new Globe and
Mail/Nanos Research poll has found.
The
poll also found that Canadians would prefer that cannabis be sold in
dedicated dispensaries or pharmacies than through a liquor store, which
is the preferred choice of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.
Justin Trudeau first promised in 2013 to legalize marijuana, a drug that has been prohibited in Canada since 1923.
Now
Prime Minister, he has called on Bill Blair, the former Toronto police
chief, to come up with the best model to legally distribute the drug for
recreational purposes to adults, while finding ways to keep it out of
the hands of children.
The poll of 1,000 Canadians found that legalizing marijuana is supported or somewhat supported by 68 per cent of the population.
British
Columbia leads the way with 75-per-cent overall support for
legalization, while the plan has only 55-per-cent support in the
Prairies.
On the other hand, 30 per cent of the population is opposed or somewhat opposed to the legalization of marijuana.
Pollster
Nik Nanos said the government has convinced the population of the
wisdom of its promise, but that public consultations are still needed to
determine how to proceed.
“Canadians
are on board, but that being said, once you get into the details, people
have some concerns and questions,” Mr. Nanos said. “The challenge for
the Liberals will be the implementation of the legalization of marijuana
and how that is going to work.”
A
major concern shared by 51 per cent of Canadians is that legalization
will actually lead to increased drug use by people under 21 (compared
with 45 per cent who do not agree).
However,
57 per cent of Canadians do not agree that marijuana is a “gateway
drug” that leads to more harmful substances, compared with 40 per cent
who agree with the statement.
Deciding who gets to legally grow and sell marijuana will be a multibillion-dollar decision for the government.
The
country’s biggest pharmacies are looking at the market, while
provincial liquor boards are presenting themselves as the natural
destination for legal pot, arguing they already have experience in
selling a controlled substance to adult customers.
At
the same time, a growing number of illegal pot dispensaries are
operating across the country, officially to serve the medical marijuana
community.
The poll, which allowed more
than one answer on this question, found that respondents favoured
dedicated marijuana dispensaries (44 per cent) and pharmacies (43 per
cent) over regulated liquor stores (36 per cent).
Convenience
stores and grocery stores were far behind at 3 per cent, while 14 per
cent of respondents said it should not be sold anywhere.
Canadians
are split on homegrown marijuana: 49 per cent of them agree or somewhat
agree with a do-it-yourself system, while 48 per cent disagree.
The
government will eventually have to decide, but it will be expected to
impose limits on how many plants can be grown at home and whether the
fruits of this labour can be shared.
Mr.
Blair, who is the parliamentary secretary to the minister of justice,
refused to speculate last week on who will be able to grow and sell
marijuana.
He also refused to lay out a
timeline for the work of a new federal-provincial task force, which
will lead broad consultations on the matter, and the ensuing changes to
the Criminal Code.
The Canadian Centre
on Substance Abuse said last week that once marijuana is legalized, it
should be distributed through a tightly regulated system – in which
making a profit is not the objective.
“A
public-health framework means preventing a revenue-driven approach,
even within government-regulated sales,” CCSA policy adviser Rebecca
Jesseman said at a public hearing held by the Senate Liberal caucus.
The
Nanos Research random survey, conducted last week by telephone and
online, offers a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points,
19 times out of 20.
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