Marijuana law to come in spring 2017

[Me&You]

Originally Posted by Procrastinational

My guess is there will be quite a few varieties with varying levels of THC available to fit customer tastes. In the same way that you can go into a liquor store and buy anything from light beer to Bacardi 151. Not everyone wants to have their socks knocked off. With it being underground, there is tons of competition to breed the strongest stuff possible, without really taking into consideration what people actually want (it's obviously hard to do market research with an illicit substance).

I imagine it will be regulated and marketed similar to booze and ABV... A THCBV, if you will.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by rousseau

I'm very much pro-legalization and regulation with the caveat that the emphasis be on edibles and greater restrictions placed on the smoking of it.

The default I think would be for it to be subjected to regular smoking laws. i.e. it's not illegal, but you'll be fined if caught smoking in a public space.

I'm also assuming it would start to be automatically covered by "no smoking" in leases, even pre-existing ones. Right now any pot-smoking tenants can do so while the only people who can do something about it are the police, not the landlord.

Interstingly enough, with this there's the very real possibility that long-term pot-smoking but non-cigarette-smoking tenants would now start to be unable to smoke in their units anymore...

Was this (whether or not it's going to be considered "smoking" for all legal purposes) discussion had?

Also of note, you can legally smoke (cigarettes) while driving, but you can't do the same with alcohol. On that one, pot shouldn't be lumped with smoking but rather with drinking. The laws for impaired driving I suppose will start to officially cover these new legal drug cases.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by lio45

The default I think would be for it to be subjected to regular smoking laws. i.e. it's not illegal, but you'll be fined if caught smoking in a public space.

I'm also assuming it would start to be automatically covered by "no smoking" in leases, even pre-existing ones. Right now any pot-smoking tenants can do so while the only people who can do something about it are the police, not the landlord.

Interstingly enough, with this there's the very real possibility that long-term pot-smoking but non-cigarette-smoking tenants would now start to be unable to smoke in their units anymore...

Was this (whether or not it's going to be considered "smoking" for all legal purposes) discussion had?

Also of note, you can legally smoke (cigarettes) while driving, but you can't do the same with alcohol. On that one, pot shouldn't be lumped with smoking but rather with drinking. The laws for impaired driving I suppose will start to officially cover these new legal drug cases.

I did not know that and I am surprised.

[kiwi]

I wonder what the legislation will look like.

Things to consider:

How old do you have to be to legally purchase marijuana?

Where will they sell marijuana?

Where can you smoke marijuana i.e parks/malls/streets?

Can you grow your own recreational marijuana?

[kiwi]

One thing we can look forward to is learn from the States that have legalized and learn where we can make this better.

[Procrastinational]

Originally Posted by lio45

The default I think would be for it to be subjected to regular smoking laws. i.e. it's not illegal, but you'll be fined if caught smoking in a public space.

I suspect it'll be treated more like alcohol (more strict than smoking laws) with regards to use in public, since it's an intoxicating substance. My bet is you'll only be able to use it in private, or in designated smoking establishments that ID upon entry (like a bar).

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by kiwi

I wonder what the legislation will look like.

Things to consider:

How old do you have to be to legally purchase marijuana?

Where will they sell marijuana?

Where can you smoke marijuana i.e parks/malls/streets?

Can you grow your own recreational marijuana?

Perhaps that should be left to the provinces. Grow your own will have its supporters, but I don't know if it's likely in a government regulated market.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I did not know that and I am surprised.

Well, the thing is, when it's illegal, you can't openly do anything about the problem. Technically, I'm doing my best to ignore any hints that my tenants might engage in behavior that I would/could normally be expected to be reporting.

The Régie du Logement's extensive documentation addresses a ton of things, including tobacco obviously (with legal precedents regarding tobacco/smoking decisions in its courts readily available) but nothing specifically about pot. It's kind of in a legal vacuum at the moment because it's underground.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I did not know that and I am surprised.

I searched just for fun and I did find a couple legal precedents / law cases, in all of them there was a more or less long list of things the landlord was reproaching the tenant with, and generally among several relatively grave accusations of tenant misbehavior there was also something like "frequent strong marijuana smell in other units due to him", and the ruling consisted of generalities invoking articles of law regarding the tenant's obligation to behave in a way that doesn't infringe on the neighbor's own rights, etc.

[Stingray2004]

While it's not my thing, usage is obviously quite common out there.

Once they legalize same, I suspect that the feds will delegate responsibility to the provinces akin to alcohol and tobacco.

It's the government revenue aspect that interests me - another source. Here in BC, both the BCGEU (gov't employee union) and private liquor store association have partnered for the sale and distribution in gov't/private liquor stores:

News Release
December 2, 2015

The B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) and the B.C. Private Liquor Store Association (BCPLSA) today announced a partnership to advocate for the sale of non-medical marijuana through the existing liquor distribution and retail system, including both public B.C. Liquor Stores and private Liquor Retail Stores (LRS).

The BCGEU and BCPLSA believe this partnership will help enable a safe, responsible and effective system for recreational marijuana in British Columbia. The partnership envisions enabling British Columbians to buy non-medical marijuana throughout age-controlled liquor stores by Christmas of 2016.

“Just as with alcohol, there are legitimate concerns about access to marijuana by youths. Our stores are an over-19, age-controlled environment and our industry has demonstrated the strongest compliance with identification checks,” said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. BCGEU represents workers in nearly 200 public B.C. Liquor Stores around the province, and warehouses and distribution centres in Vancouver and Kamloops.

“B.C. needs to ensure that non-medical marijuana is retailed in the most socially responsible way possible. Liquor stores provide the most strictly controlled system for accessing a controlled substance, and are best suited for the retailing of non-medical marijuana. We have an effective warehousing, retail and distribution system in place, there is no need to reinvent the wheel,” said Smith.

http://www.bcgeu.ca/bcgeu-and-bc-pri...le-non-medical

And I am also personally on-board with that as well. Also perhaps legalizing same will also diminish gang drug turf wars along with associated gun violence.

[drew]

Originally Posted by Procrastinational

I suspect it'll be treated more like alcohol (more strict than smoking laws) with regards to use in public, since it's an intoxicating substance. My bet is you'll only be able to use it in private, or in designated smoking establishments that ID upon entry (like a bar).

I agree. You be restricted in using it and purchasing it the same as booze. I would imagine the most likely places to start selling it would be LC's, LCBO's etc.

[esquire]

It's nice that we're taking a mature approach to this substance. It would be nice if we finally did the same with alcohol... I still can't buy a can of beer or bottle of wine at a convenience store in my province.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Yeah, I agree. It's terrible for your lungs, and I hate the smell. It's quite ironic that we've managed to stigmatize cigarette smoking to the point where most public spaces are free of that stench, but now you increasingly smell marijuana smoke (though obviously not to the same degree) because people feel more emboldened about it.

I'm very much pro-legalization and regulation with the caveat that the emphasis be on edibles and greater restrictions placed on the smoking of it. Last year a neighbour of ours started smoking pot on her balcony some evenings, and the stench was awful. I'm friendly with her, but if it's the same story this year I'm going to confront her about it.

Because it's a simple concept: your right to swing your arm ends where it comes into contact with my nose.

Comparing pot smoke to cigarrettes is a joke.

Cigarettes are like eating assholes, sure you do it because your addicted, but without that factor it's dirt.

Weed has a particular smell but there is none of the same factors when you breath it in.

Keeping in mind only idiots smoke 24 joints a day.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by lio45

Also of note, you can legally smoke (cigarettes) while driving, but you can't do the same with alcohol. On that one, pot shouldn't be lumped with smoking but rather with drinking. The laws for impaired driving I suppose will start to officially cover these new legal drug cases.

Weed does not compare to alcohol in performance.

Its far more directly comparable to driving while sleep deprived.

So unless the government is gonna start snooping into people's internet usage to determine if they are sleeping this is a nonsensical issue.

Just as one is expected to use personal judgement when driving tired, so should one when driving high. There should be no difference between oh man I couldn't keep my eyes open I was so tired, and man I was so high.

The neurological functions involved with alcohol are so much more incredibly more intense.

It's not just your state of mind that is altered, your nervous system is neurochemically stilted, your decision making centers in your brain, as well as your sense of empathy for thsoe around you.

[Vertigo3000]

Originally Posted by king10

im not against it, as long as it makes boatloads of tax dollars that is put to good use.

I know as soon as its legalized though, regular smokers will complain about how expensive it is.

The thing about this statement is funny as drug demand doesn't fluctuate based on price or supply, demand is very sturdy regardless if prices surge or not. So if the prices go up, the same people will still continue to pay.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Vertigo3000

The thing about this statement is funny as drug demand doesn't fluctuate based on price or supply, demand is very sturdy regardless if prices surge or not. So if the prices go up, the same people will still continue to pay.

I think I recall data (for cigarettes) showing that demand for the legal version does fluctuate significantly based on price, with the Indian version picking up the slack.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Stryker

Just as one is expected to use personal judgement when driving tired, so should one when driving high. There should be no difference between oh man I couldn't keep my eyes open I was so tired, and man I was so high.

And yet we somehow have special laws expressly for the case of "oh man I was tipsy enough I probably shouldn't have taken my car".

Why can't the personal judgement logic suffice?

[kiwi]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Perhaps that should be left to the provinces. Grow your own will have its supporters, but I don't know if it's likely in a government regulated market.

Why should the age when someone can purchase marijuana be up to the provinces.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by lio45

And yet we somehow have special laws expressly for the case of "oh man I was tipsy enough I probably shouldn't have taken my car".

Why can't the personal judgement logic suffice?

Did you even read what I posted, alcohol fundamentally fucks with your brain, your nervous system etc.

There is absolutely zero intelligent comparisons between the two.

Weed causes an altered state of perception that can distract users especially within the first 20 minutes of smoking, along with much more general traits like paranoia, tiredness and low blood sugar.


Alcohol is a multi angle fuckover of your entire ability to function. You get a severely delayed nervous system, perceptual problems (beer goggles), interference in your decision making process(drunk logic), direct memory loss, severe empathy deficits( meaning your oblivious to the well being of others) etc etc. In short people are not able to use their own judgement, it's just not possible.

The gap is dramatic even at low alcohol doses, it's something our society has a huge habit of denying but it is very much real.

[drew]

Originally Posted by kiwi

Why should the age when someone can purchase marijuana be up to the provinces.

minimum age for purchase of alcohol is up to the provinces - why would pot be any different?