Pop bad, pot good? Liberals are confused on health
These are confusing times on the health file, with the Liberal government sending mixed messages to Canadians. Its official objective is supposedly to help Canadians live healthier lives. So the first priority for the health minister was to legalize recreational smoking of marijuana, which the Canadian Medial Association says causes a significant increase in schizophrenia […]
Latest plan won’t stunt marijuana black market
Canada is edging closer to the July 2018 target date for the legalization of marijuana in a haze of political smoke. With every new development, the gap between the political narrative attending the initiative and its actual implementation is harder to bridge. Take the federal government’s talking points. They have greatly evolved since Justin Trudeau […]
Provincial ministers’ summer gabfest hands Trudeau a gift he could not refuse
OTTAWA—The pot thickens. The provincial ministers annual summer gabfest handed the prime minister a gift he could not refuse. A political pot fight is just what Justin Trudeau needs to shore up his left flank. Traditional New Democratic voters across the country fled their party to support the Liberals in the last election. Some simply […]
With luck, government will learn from contraband tobacco lesson for marijuana
Re: “House Health Committee to study marijuana bill before Commons returns,” (The Hill Times, July 17, p. 1). Last week’s article on the Standing Committee on Health’s plan to study C-45 before the House of Commons returns, highlights how the government is keen to move this legislation forward. In the rush to pass legislation, the committee […]
House Health Committee to study marijuana bill before Commons returns
In an unusual move, the House Health Committee will meet a week before the Commons returns in September in an effort to move forward with legislation to legalize marijuana. New Democrat MP Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, B.C.), a vice-chair of the committee, said in a phone interview last week that the committee has been scheduled […]
How should we regulate legally available substances that pose health risks? A lesson from Sweden
The regulation of legally available psychoactive substances that pose serious risks to health and safety is a challenge for all modern societies. Should we let the free market decide price, hours of sales, age of purchase, how products are promoted, and how hazardous the products are? Looking at this coolly and rationally, one might suppose […]
Canada can make cannabis safe for the world
We’re Canadian, so we like to do our part. We’re proud of the innovations we contribute to the world, from insulin, to UN peacekeeping, the Space Shuttle’s Canadarm, and the BlackBerry. Today, Canada is in the (perhaps surprising) position of being poised to make another important contribution, this time via public policy. We’re the world […]
Senators, opposition set to challenge pot bill age limits, prison terms in committee
Rules for the minimum age at which Canadians could buy pot, how many plants apartment-dwellers could grow, and lengthy maximum prison sentences could be challenged by Senators and opposition MPs as the government’s marijuana legislation passes through parliamentary committees. The chair of the House Justice Committee, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather (Mount Royal, Que.), defended the […]
Why Trudeau shouldn’t legalize marijuana
Marijuana legalization is an interesting subject that has popped up in the politics of many countries. In Colorado, the drug was legalized and we saw a steady increase in health-care spending as a result. Now here in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is investigating similar measures. There are consistent associations between marijuana usage and poor […]
What you need to know about the government’s marijuana legislation
What is allowed under new Cannabis Act for Canadians aged 18 and up? Up to 30 grams of legal weed in public Sharing of 30 grams amongst adults Purchasing from a licensed retailer Dried, fresh cannabis, and cannabis oil (edibles coming later) Up to four plants as high 100 centimetres per residence Making edible cannabis products […]
