MARIJUANA – MHPS readies for legalization as best it can
— According to early results of an online city survey, approximately two thirds of Hatters support pot legalization, and major commercial areas were favourable to smaller stores near residential areas. Redcliff has just wrapped up its own consultations with community members.
— Alberta plans to control the online sale of pot through the AGLC., but will leave overthe-counter sales to private operators, who will be subject to extensive background checks.
— A maximum of 30 grams can be purchased at any one time, and operating hours for retail stores in Alberta will be 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. but municipalities will be able to restrict that further. The product will be available in the dry form or as an oil.
— Minimum age of consumption to be 18, and no one under the age of 18 will be allowed in cannabis retail stores even if they are with an adult.
— Private pot stores will have to be physically separate from stores selling alcohol, tobacco or pharmaceuticals. They will not be allowed to sell anything but cannabis and cannabis-related products.
— The province expects to issue 250 licences in the first year.
— Stores will have to be 100 metres from schools and health-care facilities.
— Selling to a minor will be considered a criminal offence and could disqualify the operator from continuing to operate.
— Consumption of cannabis will only be permitted where smoking tobacco is allowed. Advertising of cannabis will only be allowed where there are no minors allowed.
— According to draft Health Canada regulations, marijuana will be sold in sold in plain packages emblazoned with a yellow health warning and a red stop sign stamped with the silhouette of a pot leaf. Packaging can depict a single brand element beyond a company’s name — either a logo or a slogan — but is not allowed to contain any metallic or fluorescent colours, and must be smaller than the stop sign symbol.
— Packaging will have to be opaque, child-resistant, have mechanisms to show signs of tampering, and include a section describing the amount of active ingredients contained in the product, including THC and cannabidiol.