POT SURVEY
Sask. residents say legal age should be 19
Saskatchewan residents believe the legal age of consumption for cannabis should be 19, according to the results of the provincial government’s online survey.
More than 45 per cent of the 25,974 responses to the question of legal age believe the province should make the legal age of marijuana consumption match the legal age of alcohol consumption in the province, while 27.5 per cent believe the legal age should be 18. Some 18.9 per cent of respondents believe the age should be set at 21 and 7.8 per cent believe the legal age should be over 21.
Attorney General Don Morgan said there is no decision made on the age of consumption yet. Instead, he said the Saskatchewan Party government will spend some time making a decision.
Already the province has spent considerable time contemplating the impending legalization of cannabis on July 1. Saskatchewan and other provinces asked the federal government for more time to prepare, despite the move being telegraphed for several years.
The federal Liberals campaigned on the issue in the 2014 election. After they won a majority government, they stated their intent to legalize cannabis before 2019, before tabling legislation allowing for just that earlier this year.
Morgan said there is draft legislation being worked on. Asked if legislation would be seen before the session ends on Dec. 6, he said there was a “good chance” but left the door open for further delay.
The online survey, which received a total of 34,681 responses from Sept. 8 to Oct. 6, produced even less mixed results when it came to the issue of municipal oversight.
About 57 per cent of respondents strongly disagree or disagree with municipalities getting the option to pass bylaws to more strictly regulate cannabis. Only 29 per cent said they agreed or strongly agreed with cities passing stricter bylaws.
The results show that safety is a concern for the majority of Saskatchewan residents when it comes to marijuana, specifically in the workplace and on the roads.
More than 52 per cent strongly agree that there should be zero tolerance for cannabis or other impairing drugs for commercial drivers; 20.4 per cent said they agree. That left about 15 per cent of respondents who disagree or strongly disagree with zero tolerance for drug impairment for commercial drivers.
That sentiment carried over. Nearly 60 per cent said they agree or strongly agree with zero tolerance for cannabis or any other impairing drugs for any drivers, no matter their age or licence status.
As for punishment, more than 65 per cent of respondents agree or strongly agree that the same penalties for alcohol-impaired driving (including licence suspension, fines, and vehicle seizures) should apply to drug-impaired driving. About 25 per cent said they disagree or strongly disagree.