On Thursday, the B.C. government will unveil its legislated response to the looming legalization of cannabis, but the government’s point man on the issue says it will be quite some time before legalization is fully operational.
“It’s going to take two to three years to see a system fully implemented,” B.C. Solicitor General Farnworth told Global News.
WATCH HERE: B.C. government outlines framework around legal marijuana
Farnworth cited the lack of certainty from the federal government on a number of related issues – enforcement and production being two key ones – plus the fact that so many aspects of society will be affected by legalization as reasons why this will be a challenge that evolves over time.
As well, he said most people have not grasped the magnitude of what is about to happen.
“I think most people know legalization is coming but I don’t think they fully understand the implications of how deep this goes,” he said.
To take one example, crossing the U.S. border is about to get a lot more complicated, he said.
“Marijuana is legal in Washington state, it will soon be legal in B.C. but it will not be legal at the border crossing,” Farnworth said. “That’s going to cause a lot of problems.”
Pretty well everything in Thursday’s legislative package – there will be three separate bills, that collectively amend approximately 18 existing pieces of legislation – has already been made public, Farnworth said. For example, the B.C. government has already determined the retail model will involve both government-owned and privately-owned cannabis outlets, and cannabis will not be sold in liquor stores.
WATCH: Kyla Lee from Acumen Law talks about the new pot legislation that is going to be announced Thursday.
The legal age for cannabis possession will be 19 years, the same as the legal drinking age. The provincially-owned Liquor Distribution Branch will be responsible for distributing cannabis to licensed outlets, and municipalities will be responsible for granting those licenses.
A municipality will also have the power to limit – or even ban – the number of outlets within its boundaries, and will be able to set guidelines – such as the minimum distance required between an outlet and a school – on its own.
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One of the aspects of legalization that may remain unclear for some time is what constitutes impaired driving under the influence of cannabis. Farnworth said the federal government has not been clear about this, and notes there is no widespread availability of any technological device that can be used to detect cannabis levels in someone’s bloodstream.
And while landlords will have the right to ban smoking of cannabis by tenants on their property – as they can do with tobacco – it is unclear how medical marijuana fits into the new rules.
Finally, another grey area may be one relating to enforcement. For example, existing marijuana dispensaries will be required to apply for a new retail license under the new system, and it will be interesting to see if the provincial government or a municipality will be responsible for cracking down on rogue stores.
The date of legalization remains unclear. It was originally set for July 1, but the federal government has since announced it will be delayed. Farnworth suspects it will be early fall before legalization takes effect – and so many things begin to change.
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