Yeah, but you know, the Liberals are once again doing a bang-up job of convincing the faithful that marijuana is on the verge of being legalized, or that it's even been legalized already.
No they aren't. They have been very clear that this will be a time-consuming project. They gave Bill Blair a leading role and they are involving multiple ministers in the planning and consulting with the provinces sending a strong signal that this is not going to happen overnight. Continued enforcement is to be expected and they are making that clear too. The last thing in the world that they want is a free-for-all before controls are put into place giving the opposition ammunition.
I mean, I realize it's hyperbole, but it's still the kind of hyperbole that should be saved for AFTER pot has been legalized, not when the government is just talking about doing it, without even having announced a plan as to how it will happen.
That is why it is a cartoon not a government announcement.
And I said "once again", because I remember the tail-end of the Chretien years, when BC bud was getting some good reviews, and Chretien had speculated that he might smoke a joint if pot was decriminalized, and people started using phrases along the lines of "Canada: The Land Of Legal Weed."
That is no where near what is going on now. Ministerial mandate letters included beginning the process towards legalization. It will likely be at least 2018 before it actually happens and 2019 before we see products on shelves, maybe even 2020.
I'm agnostic about whether we're heading for another Great Disappointment on this issue, or if the government is more serious this time around. Certainly, though, nothing that has so far happened should lead us to expect that cops will turn a blind-eye to corner-cutting dispensaries.
There is no reason to believe they aren't serious. Just the opposite. Anyone thinking this was going to mean an immediate change doesn't understand how government works or how carefully the Liberals will approach this to avoid giving any extra ammunition to opponents.
This is not going to happen like in the states. There will be discussions on how to handle quality control, and what if any should be the limit on THC, what the inspection process will be, who will be allowed to grow how much, labeling requirements, safety regulations for consumables (so they won't be attractive to children), how the proceeds should be used, ad infinitum.
The RCMP busts are a signal that for now it is business as usual so anyone thinking of opening up pot shops should think twice because they will still get busted. I also wouldn't recommend smoking a joint on the doorstep of the local cop shop or daycare.