In an interview with Global News, Attorney General Caroline Mulroney defends launching a public awareness campaign on pot just two days before recreational use becomes legal in Canada.
The TV, online and print ads focus on new regulations and the dangers of using marijuana.
“A lot of work goes into it making sure we do it right. As you know, we’ve engaged in extensive consultation around the province meeting with stakeholders, so this campaign reflects what we’ve heard from stakeholders about their questions and what they would need to see, so we’ve been working on it for quite some time.”
The Opposition NDP said the campaign should have been launched months ago.
Deputy leader Sarah Singh adds, “The way Doug Ford has handled the legalization of cannabis has left Ontarians with more questions than answers. We’re basically hours away from cannabis being legal, most Ontarians still don’t know where they’re even allowed to light up, and the government is only now rolling out their education campaign. Ontarians deserve clarity that just isn’t being offered by this government.”
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Mulroney says the ads will also highlight policy around impaired driving.
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“Our government has a zero-tolerance policy for novice drivers and commercial drivers who are driving impaired. So we’ve been clear that if you have been consuming cannabis that you should not get behind the wheel of a car.”
CAA recently released a study showing young Canadians are more at risk of a vehicle crash after inhaling cannabis.
READ MORE: Cannabis IQ: Almost half of Canadian pot users say they use daily. Here’s why regular use is risky
The study conducted by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre found that performance declined significantly, in key areas such as reaction time, even five hours after inhaling the equivalent of less than one typical joint.
There will an emphasis on distributing ads on college and university campuses and they will be produced in 10 languages.
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