Delay deadline for legalizing pot

EDITORIAL: WHAT OTHERS THINK Request from police forces is a reasonable one

When police tell them to “slow down,” good citizens comply. Not so the federal government, which is ignoring a very reasonable call from Canada’s police services to slow down on its overly ambitious plan to legalize recreational marijuana as of next July 1.

The plea from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Ontario Provincial Police and Saskatoon Police Services was delivered Tuesday to the House of Commons health committee, which is studying the federal legislation that will legalize cannabis.

Regrettably, the request was spurned by Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, who claimed the deadline can be easily met.

Why the stubbornness from the federal Liberals?

Why the arrogant refusal to take advice from their partners in this major initiative?

This week, it was the police who said take more time.

In July, nine provincial premiers delivered the same message.

Why are the Liberals turning deaf ears to legitimate and troubling concerns — not about legalizing recreational marijuana itself but their insistence it must be rushed through by next July?

It is Canada’s front-line police officers who will be expected to enforce the new law by ensuring road safety, thwarting black market criminals and keeping marijuana out of children’s hands.

But police told the Commons health committee that sticking to the July 1 deadline will make it impossible for them to properly train officers about the new law. Nor will police have enough time to certify all the officers needed to conduct roadside testing for cannabis-impaired driving.

The police also fear that, under the current deadline, they will be unable to properly enforce the government’s plan to let individuals cultivate up to four marijuana plants while ensuring those under the legal age don’t have easy access to a drug the Canadian Medical Association says damages young, developing brains.

Rick Barnum, the OPP’s deputy commissioner for investigations and organized crime, had this stark warning.

Unless the government postpones the start date, there will be a period of six months to a year in which police are unprepared and organized crime will flourish. These are solid arguments. Public Safety Minister Goodale did the country a disservice when he poured cold water on them.

Goodale and Prime Minister Trudeau were equally dismissive of the nine premiers who recently requested a delay in the date for legal cannabis.

The premiers worry Ottawa is not giving them enough time to decide on the best ways to sell, price and tax recreational marijuana.

It’s clear the Liberals have been stung for breaking other commitments — notably the one promising electoral reform.

But their July 1 deadline for legal cannabis is entirely arbitrary.

They could easily put it back by a full year and still keep their promise on this matter by the next federal election.

With the greatest respect, we ask the Liberals to do this.

The safety of our children, our roads and our communities rests with them. They should slow down.

An editorial from the Waterloo Region Record (distributed by The Canadian Press)