Cannabis legalization across Canada

16 posts / 0 new

Thu, 2018-07-12 17:40

Pondering

This is where Canadians want taxes to go and it isn't anti-drug campaigns

https://globalnews.ca/news/4199723/marijuana-tax-revenue-survey-deficit/

Health care funding easily ranked highest in focus groups, followed by moderate support for job training, cutting taxes and giving cash to municipalities.

Respondents also suggested some other options, the report adds, like funding rehabilitation and addiction programs.

“There was very little support for using this tax revenue to reduce the deficit or to fund public education about the effects of cannabis,” the final report, prepared by Environics Research, noted.

Thu, 2018-07-12 17:54

Pondering

The evidence does not support the notion that there will be more accidents.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4256586/marijuana-impaired-driving/

U.S. states that legalized recreational marijuana didn’t see any meaningful change in accident rates, a Canadian public health study has found.

The study, written for the Senate by a group of doctors and researchers, was released to the public on Tuesday by the University of British Columbia.

oad accident deaths in Washington and Colorado didn’t change significantly after legalization there, compared to eight other states that didn’t legalize.

“The reassuring thing is that we did not see, in the evidence that we reviewed, any significant increases in driving fatalities or accidents associated with legalization, and I think that’s something that we can probably expect when legalization rolls out sometime later this year,” said UBC’s Michael-John Milloy, one of the study’s authors.

The U.S. experience also showed a fall in alcohol-related road deaths in states that legalized medical marijuana.

Sooner or later politicians are going to have to face the truth. Cannabis is more benign than alcohol and may reduce use of both alcohol and opiates. There is no reason for plain packaging and rules barring consumption in apartments and condos. News flash. People are already using them in apartments and condos.

Thu, 2018-07-12 18:11

Mr. Magoo

Quote:
“There was very little support for using this tax revenue to reduce the deficit or to fund public education about the effects of cannabis,” the final report, prepared by Environics Research, noted.

I'm hardly shocked that people can think of better ways to spend those revenues than by producing "Reefer Madness 2018". The government (actually governments -- pretty much all of them) lost the public trust with regards to honest and accurate information about marijuana many years ago.

Frankly, they're still acting like pot is "bath salts" in herbal form. We really don't need graphic photos of some "stoned" pedestrian with his brains smeared all over the pavement and the caption "Marijuana reduces your ability to cross the street safely" on packs of weed. They'll still probably do it, though, because I think part of this whole bargain was the government throwing sops to opponents of weed.

Thu, 2018-07-12 19:15

Pondering

The provinces with a more liberal approach are going to make the other provinces look silly.

https://www.mtlblog.com/news/pei-to-open-canadas-first-marijuana-hotels-...

The island is already a major hub of tourism in the maritimes. With red, rocky cliffs that dive into the ocean and sweeping, buccolic landscapes, P.E.I. is a uniquely Canadian kind of coastal paradise.

But now, the province seems poised to allow recreational marijuana use in hotel rooms. The move will not only allow casual consumption after a busy day of tourist escapades, but also open the possibility for weed-centered hotels.

I think it will boost tourism.

Thu, 2018-07-12 19:26

Mr. Magoo

Anne of "Green" Gables!

That was intended as just a silly joke, but I suddenly realized it's likely to happen.

"Why did I dye my hair?", replied Anne Shirley, while relighting the roach. "Well, we'd just scored a gram of some fabulous honey oil, Marilla was in town purchasing linens, and we had the homestead to ourselves for a few hours ..."

[sidebar]Speaking of weed, I saw Marc and Jodie Emery in Kensington this week. Jodie was there to promote the launch of her new coffee shop, "Jodie's Joint", and Marc seemed to be there primarily to video her talking to people about it. He was wearing a Blue Jays shirt and a cape. :)

Fri, 2018-07-13 10:54

lagatta4

I doubt legal weed will reduce consumption of alcoholic beverages, but it could certainly reduce some opiate and opiod use; I have a friend who is already taking a cannaboid for pain relief and am looking into that myself. I can't smoke anything. Actually, I'm looking for a cannaboid that does NOT give me a buzz, so I can work with a clear head.

One side-effect of the negative ads is that they will doubtless be very silly, and a great source of comic material.

Fri, 2018-07-13 12:17

Pondering

One great thing about legalization is that we now have evidence of the impact of cannabis.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-marijuana-traffic-death/after-...

Deaths dropped 11 percent on average in states that legalized medical marijuana, researchers discovered after analyzing 1.2 million traffic fatalities nationwide from 1985 through 2014.

The decrease in traffic fatalities was particularly striking – 12 percent – in 25- to 44-year-olds, an age group with a large percentage of registered medical marijuana users, the authors report in the American Journal of Public Health.

...

Though Santaella-Tenorio was surprised by the drop in traffic deaths, the results mirror the findings of another study of data from 19 states published in 2013 in The Journal of Law and Economics. It showed an 8 to 11 percent decrease in traffic fatalities during the first full year after legalization of medical marijuana.

“Public safety doesn’t decrease with increased access to marijuana, rather it improves,” Benjamin Hansen, one of the authors of the previous study, said in an email. Hansen, an economics professor at the University of Oregon in Eugene, was not involved in the current study.

He cautioned that both marijuana and alcohol are drugs that can impair driving.

It’s not clear why traffic deaths might drop when medical marijuana becomes legal, and the study can only show an association; it can’t prove cause and effect.

They offer some possible explanations but don't seem to see the mosts obvious. They really need to speak to users. I just fall asleep on alcohol but many people get aggressive. Cannabis has a mellowing effect. Munchies are a well-known effect of Cannabis. Food slows the absorbtion of alcohol. Eating and smoking displaces some of the alcohol consumption. Instead of having 3 beers someone might have a joint and one or two beers and a whole lot of that free popcorn on the bar.

Evidence exists to suggest cannabis legalization reduces the use of alcohol as well as opiates. Correlation is not causation so it isn't proof yet but Canada is about to become the next proving ground.

Fri, 2018-07-13 20:11

laine lowe laine lowe's picture

I am shocked with the outrageous US reaction to this change. Not only are admitted users or even if not admitted (but with evidence on their phones/personal devices) going to be stopped from entering the US, possibly banned permanently. It seems they are applying the same restrictions to entry to Canadians who have invested in cannabis. I don't get how this can be anything more than a puritanical reaction.

Sat, 2018-07-14 16:42

Pondering

Doug Ford may be very good news for the cannabis community. This article touches on a variety of provincial plans. Good news for Quebecers too.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/doug-ford-wants-consultations-on-cannabis-sa...

With the legalization of recreational cannabis now months away, Ontario's incoming premier said he wants to consult further with municipalities, stakeholders and his caucus before deciding whether to change the plan laid out by his predecessors for the sale of marijuana.

Doug Ford, who was elected this month, had previously suggested he would be open to greater privatization of marijuana sales.

..."What I said is I'd be focusing on the LCBO. I'm private sector, I don't believe government should stick their nose into everything, but again, this is a path we have never went down," he said.

"We're going to tread carefully on this and we're going to consult with the local municipalities and we're going to make a decision after we talk to caucus."

With liberal cannabis regimes on both sides Quebec will feel a lot of pressure to go in the same direction.

I am convinced that cannabis will prove itself to be so benign that the more draconian provinces will have to liberalize.

Sat, 2018-07-14 19:06

#10

Pondering

So lets catch up with all the provinces and territories. Information derived from Wikipedia

Alberta
18+
Retailers private
online sales reserved for provincial government
public smoking same as tobacco

British Columbia
19+ (like alcohol)
wholesale distribution by government
private and public retail
Consume anywhere vaping and smoking is permitted but not areas frequented by children.

Manitoba
19+
communities can opt-out of cannabis sales by plebiscite
home growing prohibited
government wholesale private retail

New Brunswick
20 Crown retail stores
30 gram carry limit
stored in a locked locked container or room
smoking banned in public places

Newfoundland and Labrador
19+
private licensed retailers
regulation and distribution by Crown corporation

Northwest Territories
19+
public smoking will be restricted in some areas
allowed on private property
Government will manage all import and sales retail and mail order
Communities can have plebisites to opt out

Nova Scotia
19+
Sold in liquor stores.

Nunavut
Not yet announced

Ontario
Government sole vendor online and retail
May change now that Doug Ford is in

Prince Edward Island
19+
Government owned stand alone stores

Quebec
18+
Government retail shops
Home grown illegal

Saskatchewan
19+
banned from public spaces
will issue permits for both wholesale and retail.

Yukon
19+
Government sales retail and online

Sun, 2018-07-15 08:05

#11

lagatta4

I'm sure that there will be people here who will quite publicly challenge the ban on home-growing. I used to make wine with friends and know several people who make their own beer. Why the silly discrimination against cannabis?

Indeed this may be problematic for people who have to travel to the US. It is just another reason to boycott them, but for some people this may be part of their livelihood.

Sun, 2018-07-15 18:37

#12

Mr. Magoo

Quote:
Why the silly discrimination against cannabis?

All I can think is that when grow operations scale up some, they seem to come with plenty of electrical/fire concerns, and mould/humidity concerns. Granted, that shouldn't affect someone growing four plants in old Folger's cans in a closet. Maybe the government is willing to throw the baby out with the bathwater in order to not have to count plants.

Sun, 2018-07-15 18:51

(Reply to #12) #13

Paladin1

Pondering wrote:

The evidence does not support the notion that there will be more accidents.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4256586/marijuana-impaired-driving/

U.S. states that legalized recreational marijuana didn’t see any meaningful change in accident rates, a Canadian public health study has found.

Depends where you look. Law Enforcement friends of mine are saying they catch more people driving high than driving drunk now.

Quote:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/26/what-marijuana-le...

They found that over that time period, collisions claim frequencies in the states that had legalized marijuana were about 3 percent higher than would have been anticipated without legalization. The researchers characterized that number as small, but significant. Collision claim frequency refers to the number of claims filed divided by the number of insured vehicle years.

“The combined-state analysis shows that the first three states to legalize recreational marijuana have experienced more crashes,” said Matt Moore, senior vice president of the IIHS's Highway Loss Data Institute, in a statement.

Quote:

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/21/auto-crashes-are-on-the-rise-in-marijuan...

Auto crashes are on the rise in marijuana states

Three states that have approved the sale of marijuana for recreational use have shown an increase in car accident claims.

The number of vehicle collisions is 3 percent higher than what would have been if pot weren't legal, the study claims.

Quote:
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/25/colorado-marijuana-traffic-fatalit...

The number of drivers involved in fatal crashes in Colorado who tested positive for marijuana has risen sharply each year since 2013, more than doubling in that time, federal and state data show. A Denver Post analysis of the data and coroner reports provides the most comprehensive look yet into whether roads in the state have become more dangerous since the drug’s legalization.

Increasingly potent levels of marijuana were found in positive-testing drivers who died in crashes in Front Range counties, according to coroner data since 2013 compiled by The Denver Post. Nearly a dozen in 2016 had levels five times the amount allowed by law, and one was at 22 times the limit. Levels were not as elevated in earlier years.

Quote:
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/03/25/colorado-auto-deaths-marijuana-use/

As Colorado auto deaths involving marijuana rise, CDOT is asking thousands how they feel about driving under pot’s influence

Quote:
https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19538240/marijuana-and-traffic-deaths...

Recreational pot is legal in eight states, including Colorado. But could that be coming with a risk? According to a new report from the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area agency, pot-related driving deaths have spiked in Colorado since the state legalized the drug in 2013.

When crunching the numbers on traffic fatalities, the researchers discovered that the number of marijuana-related traffic deaths when the driver tested positive for pot increased by 66 percent from the four-year period before pot became legal in 2013 to the four-year period afterwards.

Quote:
https://www.krdo.com/news/traffic/traffic-fatalities-related-to-marijuan...

Traffic fatalities related to marijuana are on the rise in Colorado

Mon, 2018-07-16 09:49

#14

Pondering

Paladin1 wrote:

Depends where you look. Law Enforcement friends of mine are saying they catch more people driving high than driving drunk now.

That's a good thing if it means a reduction in drunk drivers. Your first link:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/26/what-marijuana-le...

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a U.S. nonprofit organization funded by auto insurers, established in 1959 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Wikipedia“The combined-state analysis shows that the first three states to legalize recreational marijuana have experienced more crashes,” said Matt Moore, senior vice president of the IIHS's Highway Loss Data Institute, in a statement....

While Moore's research finds a greater crash risk, his study does not say if the increase in collisions in the three states were directly caused by drivers who were high.

The study also did not look at highway fatality rates in the states that legalized marijuana.

To determine whether collision rates are higher now in Colorado, Oregon and Washington than they would be if recreational pot use was still illegal, the institute compared the collision claim rates before and after legalization with the collision claim rates of comparable states where pot is still illegal. For example, Colorado was compared to Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming.

...After crunching the numbers, the institute said collision claims since marijuana was legalized are up 16 percent in Colorado, 6.2 percent in Washington and 4.5 percent in Oregon.

Seems to me state numbers should be compared to their own previous numbers not other states. The insurance industry has a vested interest in attributing accidents to marijuana. Your first three links all lead to the same study.

https://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/25/colorado-marijuana-traffic-fatalit...

The trends coincide with the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado that began with adult use in late 2012, followed by sales in 2014. Colorado transportation and public safety officials, however, say the rising number of pot-related traffic fatalities cannot be definitively linked to legalized marijuana.

If chocolate were recently legalized I'm sure you would find more of it in the stomach contents of people involved in fatal traffic accidents than prior to legalization. It would not mean that it had anything to do with the accidents.

From the same link:

The 2013-16 period saw a 40 percent increase in the number of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in Colorado, from 627 to 880, according to the NHTSA data. Those who tested positive for alcohol in fatal crashes from 2013 to 2015 — figures for 2016 were not available — grew 17 percent, from 129 to 151.

By contrast, the number of drivers who tested positive for marijuana use jumped 145 percent — from 47 in 2013 to 115 in 2016. During that time, the prevalence of testing drivers for marijuana use did not change appreciably, federal fatal-crash data show.

Drinking up 17%, we know for sure alcohol causes accidents. It seems to me the 17% rise in alcohol use would definitely have an impact.

I'm not saying cannabis doesn't cause any impairment. It is far far far less impairing than alcohol.

What surprises me more is the 17% increase in alcohol use. That could easily account for a 3% increase in accidents.

Mon, 2018-07-16 12:44

#15

lagatta4

If I tried to grow cannabis here, I suspect that Livia would eat it.

Mon, 2018-07-16 12:56

(Reply to #15) #16

voice of the damned

laine lowe wrote:

I am shocked with the outrageous US reaction to this change. Not only are admitted users or even if not admitted (but with evidence on their phones/personal devices) going to be stopped from entering the US, possibly banned permanently. It seems they are applying the same restrictions to entry to Canadians who have invested in cannabis. I don't get how this can be anything more than a puritanical reaction.

And given that, as far as I know, recreational cannabis has not been shut down in any of the American states that have legalized it, and which have unbordered access to the rest of the country, targeting Canadians is a little like losing your keys by the bush, but checking on the sidewalk, because that's where the light is brighter.