Canadians are still unclear about how parts of this whole legalization thing will work
CBC News
There's
been a lot of talk about cannabis leading up to Wednesday's
legalization, but with so much on the line it still feels in some ways
as though the really important conversation is just getting started.
Canadians across the country have many questions about how things will work, ranging from how workers' rights will be protected, to what kind of resources are in place to address marijuana addiction and prevent impaired driving.
The National co-host Andrew Chang and members of the public put some of those questions to the experts in a CBC town hall:
Here are excerpts from the town hall:
Ellaine Farrell. (Pelin Sedik/CBC)
Elaine
Farrell of Toronto is a long-time employee of the Toronto Transit
Commission, and has been fighting for the right to use cannabis CBD oil
instead of prescription opioids for chronic pain in her legs and back.
Farrell asks:"How will the worker's rights be balanced, and my rights to be able to use cannabis either for medicinal or recreational purposes?"
Minister Bill Blair says that while we've had experience with medical cannabis for nearly two decades in Canada, new workplace rules will likely be developed once recreational cannabis is legal:
Canadians across the country have many questions about how things will work, ranging from how workers' rights will be protected, to what kind of resources are in place to address marijuana addiction and prevent impaired driving.
The National co-host Andrew Chang and members of the public put some of those questions to the experts in a CBC town hall:
- Bill Blair, Minister of border security and organized crime reduction, and the government's lead on the cannabis file
- Dr. Gigi Osler, president of the Canadian Medical Association
- Kirk Tousaw, lawyer and consultant for Canopy Growth Corp.
Here are excerpts from the town hall:
Workers' rights
Farrell asks:"How will the worker's rights be balanced, and my rights to be able to use cannabis either for medicinal or recreational purposes?"
Minister Bill Blair says that while we've had experience with medical cannabis for nearly two decades in Canada, new workplace rules will likely be developed once recreational cannabis is legal:
"When you're testing people for the presence of these metabolites, you're not really getting a clear picture."
Dr. Gigi Osler adds: "I think the research is very varied, and hence you see jurisdictions across the country having these widely variable rules as to when someone can use and then report for work."
More research, she says, will help "shed a light" on impairment and "help reduce some of the discomforts that employers may be feeling."
Driving high
Stewart asks:"How can we convince these young novice drivers that driving while impaired by cannabis can be dangerous?"
Dr. Osler cautions that there are certain risks associated with cannabis and driving, especially when combined with alcohol:
"Young people aren't aware of the risks of this, and it's important that they know that cannabis can significantly impair their ability to operate a motor vehicle."
He points out that driving is a privilege in this country, and it's predicated on two principles — you have to be licensed and you have to be sober.
But currently, law enforcement does not have widespread access to technology that will enable them to detect when people are driving high, and therefore deter people from using cannabis when operating a motor vehicle.
Lawyer Kirk Tousaw says that while public awareness and education are key, over-reliance on enforcement pushes us towards unreliable testing methods and — in his opinion — the arbitrary rules around impairment that are currently in place.
He adds, "if this is one of your first times using cannabis and you're using a high-potency cannabis, be smart, be responsible. I think we trust Canadians in a whole variety of ways to be responsible for their own individual behaviours."
Addiction and mental health
Josie asks: "What do we have in place to address marijuana addiction after legalization, especially for youth? There's not a lot of research to show what the long-term impact of regular cannabis use is, especially among young brains, and I was wondering what the government has planned to address this issue?"
Minister Blair says, "Our government has said the revenue that is generated from the excise tax of cannabis needs to be reinvested in research prevention treatment and rehabilitation."
Dr. Osler says she is "heartened" to hear that Minister Blair is intent on putting more resources into counselling and addiction services. "I think it's vitally important to have that in place as a promise to Canadians."
Cannabis and kids
Knutson asks: "Once cannabis is legalized, what are the parental liabilities if a teenager accesses it at home, whether for medicinal or recreational use? Also, wouldn't it be safer, if kids are going to use it anyway, for a teen to access it at home from a parent instead of illegally somewhere else?"
Kirk Tousaw says that due to differences in cannabis laws between the provinces, it's hard to get a "complete picture of potential legal liability" with regard to the drug.
But he points out that when it comes to alcohol, "we don't criminalize parents" or require them to lock their alcohol cabinets.
She also suggests that parents treat cannabis like a prescription medication.
"Keep it out of the reach of young children, in particular," she says. "They won't know how much to ingest, and whatever amount they ingest may be just simply too much for their smaller bodies."
Innovation vs. regulation
Levy asks: "There's an incredible amount of innovation going on in the cannabis industry in Canada right now, and I think most observers would agree that innovation is going to be essential to help the government achieve its policy objectives of protecting the health of Canadians and Canadian youth, as well as eliminating the black market. However, regulators tend to be slow to react to innovation and technological change. What is the government going to do to foster innovation in the industry to ensure that the policy objectives are reached?"
Minister Blair says the government has been "working pretty diligently for the last two and a half years" to develop regulatory frameworks and around licensing producers, as well as marketing:
He adds that the government continues to work on the regulation around edibles, preparing for their future legalization.
"There were some significant additional risks in the edible market that needed to be properly regulated. And we based that determination on the experience in other jurisdictions that urged us to approach this with caution, but to enter into a very careful examination to make sure that it can be done safely."
Tousaw adds that innovation in the cannabis market is happening rapidly.
"There's a tremendous amount of entrepreneurial spirit. There's a tremendous amount of smart people working very hard to bring new products to markets that are going to provide Canadians with a safer alternative for their recreational consumption than alcohol."
For those reasons, he says, it's important that Canada "very quickly get the preferred formats for people out in the marketplace."
Border issues
Znaimer asks: "What I want to know is what happens to Canadians traveling to the U.S. after cannabis legalization?"
Blair says that it will be a serious criminal offence to carry any amount of cannabis into the United States or any other country, and conversely, to bring it from any other country into Canada.
"Canadians need to understand the law. They need understand the rights, but also the risks that would pose. We will have signs put up, we're putting information to every Canadian household so that they know the law and don't inadvertently put themselves at risk."
He adds that the U.S. will not change how it manages security at the border.
"If you indicate to the border agents that you are either carrying cannabis or going down into the United States to engage in a business that is illegal in their country, then it's very likely that they will exclude you from entering the country."
Lawyer Kirk Tousaw has some advice for Canadians about what they should do when they are dealing with a U.S. border agent, to avoid being denied entry to the U.S.:
Policing and courts
Scott asks: "With this future legalization coming up, I'm wondering how exactly will it affect racial profiling and policing? Also, the people who've been convicted and even incarcerated for cannabis use — will they receive any amnesty when it is legalized?"
Minister Blair says that while he is aware racial profiling does exist, it is "abhorrent, unacceptable and unlawful, and any individual or any police officer engaging in racial profiling is breaking the law."
"Unfortunately, the criminal justice system is a system that is class- and racially-enforced disproportionately, and we need to work hard on fixing those problems. I don't think they're going to go away overnight.
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