Pot & The Police

[jimmy4321]

Not all provinces treated marijuana the same prior to legalization, some were pretty loose some less accepting prior to legalization. So I think the province by province approach was the best way to shut premiers up and get it done.

Media is halarious though, capable of untangling the whole free trade things, complicated war crap yet they act completely dumbfounded when it comes to simple rules, maybe that's just news making news.
Only as complicated as people make it.

I don't smoke and I swear in the news i've learned more about the rules than I ever would care if I did.

[Fancy]

Not all provinces treated marijuana the same prior to legalization, some were pretty loose some less accepting prior to legalization.

Examples?

[jimmy4321]

Not all provinces treated marijuana the same prior to legalization, some were pretty loose some less accepting prior to legalization.
Examples?

I won't get into specifics but some places are just more tolerable over the years about it than others. What works in BC may not work for Ont, NS or Que. I've been in some places in Canada that i never came across the stench of weed for weeks, even from passing vehicles where in the Okanagan it's daily. I can only assume that's due to how the laws are enforced.

Hell, Vancouver Police announced at one time they weren't even gonna bust people for simple possesion, that did NOT happen elsewhere. In Kelowna i remember it not uncommon seeing people sitting at storefronts lighting up on Bernard, getting busted was the last thing on their mind

[Fancy]

Interesting old fact:

A recent CBC News analysis found that where you live is a significant factor. For example, you're almost 23 times more likely to face a possession charge in Kelowna, B.C., than in St. John's.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cannabis ... -1.3545800

There's going to be growing pains in the coming year.

[Poindexter]

I think that one of the biggest mistakes being made is the assumption that once it is made legal, everyone and his granny will run out to buy weed. I doubt it.

I don't think that the number of weed smokers is going to go up simply because it's legal. Those who want to smoke it already do and have for however long they have. That would go for the police as well. There are weed smoking cops who have partaken in the activity and have for however long they have. Legal has nothing to do with it.

If booze were suddenly outlawed, the number of people who would quit drinking would not be substantial; they would just find a way to get what they need.

Great post but there is one exception, use among seniors has risen wherever it's been legalized. Not only have they been more concerned around the legality than younger generations, dissatisfaction with the prescription drugs they've been historically prescribed is making them try cannabis therapy as a healthier and more effective alternative. I know many of my parents friends who are now using the marajuana cream on their aches and getting far better results than their old go to's like Bengay or other menthol based choices. Also for sleep, people can replace those prescription pills that make you feel like a zombie the next day for a THC tincture or candy that does a much better job with no hangover. Think also as Dr's get more educated around the medicinal uses that the seniors market will grow even more. But your right about the rest, no one under 50 was waiting for legalization before partaking.

[jimmy4321]

Sounds like a lot of Y2K 2.0

[Ka-El]

Dear Canada: This Is What Marijuana Legalization Looks Like in California

<snip>

Yet despite all of the innovation and energy in the legalized market, the black market is still dominant. Only around 3 percent of marijuana farmers in the state have obtained licenses, said Hezekiah Allen, the executive director of the California Growers Association, a marijuana advocacy group.

It’s hard to persuade pot farmers who have been producing in the shadows for decades to fill out voluminous paperwork, pay taxes and comply with reams of environmental regulations, Mr. Allen said. And he believes there are parallels between Canada and California, especially in British Columbia, where growers have operated in the wilds for decades just as they have in Humboldt County in California.

Legalization in California, pardon the expression, is only half-baked.

It’s become clear to regulators and the cannabis business over all that legalization is not something that happens in a single day, or year.

Yes, the marijuana business has exploded into its own economy in California. There are conferences, magazines, cannabis testing companies, marijuana market research organizations, law firms specializing in cannabis law, apps to compare cannabis brands and find weed shops. All of this is pumped out to the wider world by cannabis public relations companies.
But legal sales of marijuana are far below what proponents of legalization had hoped for.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/cannabis/ ... &ocid=iehp

We’ve had years to prepare for this day. As with many things it is the resistance to change that makes change so difficult, and we certainly have had a lot of people and groups trying to stall the implementation of this new law – already about fifty years overdue. Any failure of organizations (including police) to be ready, or for communities not to have an adequate number of licensed stores up and ready is a failure of the bureaucracies and politicians.

[Merry]

I share the view that the Federal Government should have regulated the production and sale of legal pot, so that we had consistency all across Canada. A golden opportunity was missed when it was decided to allow each Province to produce it's own regulations.

We already have too great of a smorgasbord of regulations in this country on everything from trucking regulations, to booze, to you name it. And now we've added pot to that list.

And as for all the rules surrounding consumption by the police, well many police officers have already been smoking the stuff for decades; so trying to make rules about it now are probably redundant, because if they didn't adhere to the law when it was illegal, they're hardly likely to adhere to the rules now that it's legal. Ditto for all those other attempts to regulate how and when people consume this product. It might make us "feel good" to know we've tried to regulate it, but I predict it's going to be almost impossible to enforce.

I supported decriminalizing pot because I saw how many ordinary people were using it, who didn't deserve to be lumped together under the same umbrella as regular criminals. And I thought that allowing such folks to grow their own would help eliminate the need for them to buy pot on the black market. But I'm not, and never was, in favour of commercial production and marketing of the product as it will likely result in an increase in usage, and I'm shocked that the Government decided to go that route. Because although pot is not the "demon product" some used to try to make us believe, I don't believe it's totally harmless either. There have been studies to suggest that in some it can trigger schizophrenia and other inherited mental disorders, particularly if consumed during one's teen years. And I personally know someone in whom I think pot triggered such an illness.

So decriminalize YES, allow folks to legally grow 4 plants at home YES, but large scale commercial production and marketing NO. I feel that, with the latter, we've sold our souls to the devil for no good reason. Yes the Government might get some more tax revenue, but at what cost to the health care system, as well as for increased law enforcement on our highways? And yes, a few entrepreneurs might also strike it rich, but again at what cost to society as a whole? Particularly to the health and well being of our young people?

The fact is that if the form of legalization we've chosen to pursue results in a large increase in cannibis consumption, our society does not currently have the ability to deal with all the negative consequences of such an increase.

[Ka-El]

So decriminalize YES, allow folks to legally grow 4 plants at home YES, but large scale commercial production and marketing NO.

Without large scale commercial production and distribution there would be no impact on the black market - one of the more important reasons for legalizing weed (which never should have been illegal ever in the first place), and no tax revenue. I had hoped we could have hobby farmers sprout up and produce in much the same way as cottage wineries. They could then sell their product to the government who would distribute it among licensed retail outlets. Of course, just like the wineries, you could also partake and purchase from these farms directly. Ten years from now we'll be wondering what the big deal was.

[jimmy4321]

You only need to be concerned with the province you are actually in Lol

[alanjh595]

So decriminalize YES, allow folks to legally grow 4 plants at home YES, but large scale commercial production and marketing NO.

Without large scale commercial production and distribution there would be no impact on the black market - one of the more important reasons for legalizing weed (which never should have been illegal ever in the first place), and no tax revenue. I had hoped we could have hobby farmers sprout up and produce in much the same way as cottage wineries. They could then sell their product to the government who would distribute it among licensed retail outlets. Of course, just like the wineries, you could also partake and purchase from these farms directly. Ten years from now we'll be wondering what the big deal was.

You ever try and get a mortgage on a house/home that has had a legal/illegal grow-op in it's history? AND doesn't matter if that grow was done by the owner or the renter.

[Ken7]

You only need to be concerned with the province you are actually in Lol

That is why Jimmy, a Federal Law should be just that a law that applies equally across the Country that it applies to. Just another Liberal failure.

Good luck to those who use.

[jimmy4321]

Why should anyone give a crap over any other province than the one they live in? It's dead simple
People who can't figure it out should reconsider having have a DL , a pet, kids, gun, or fishing rod and should never travel outside Canada to any country

When in BC follow their laws, the same for Alberta, etc. When in doubt look it up on those *bleep* phones y'all can't put down.

[Merry]

You ever try and get a mortgage on a house/home that has had a legal/illegal grow-op in it's history? AND doesn't matter if that grow was done by the owner or the renter.

4 plants do not a "grow op" make. There is a HUGE difference.

The reason "grow ops" render a home unlivable is because the large number of plants and the method used to grow them all increases the humidity levels resulting in the growth of mold. 4 plants would not have the same effect.

[floppi]

So decriminalize YES, allow folks to legally grow 4 plants at home YES, but large scale commercial production and marketing NO.

Without large scale commercial production and distribution there would be no impact on the black market - one of the more important reasons for legalizing weed (which never should have been illegal ever in the first place), and no tax revenue. I had hoped we could have hobby farmers sprout up and produce in much the same way as cottage wineries. They could then sell their product to the government who would distribute it among licensed retail outlets. Of course, just like the wineries, you could also partake and purchase from these farms directly. Ten years from now we'll be wondering what the big deal was.

I don't think there will be much impact on the black market selling of Pot. If it cost nearly $200 for an ounce to buy it legally, I would rather buy it on the black market for half of that price for the same quality.