POT-POURRI OF RULES
It’s tradition for legally underage Ottawans to cross the bridges for an evening of government-permitted bar-hopping in Gatineau, Que. There’s some hand-wringing, but for the most part it’s just part of life in a metropolis with interprovincial bridges. The National Capital Region is, after all, a microcosm of Confederation.
One feature of our country is the sometimes significant differences in rules between provinces. In Quebec, for example, the legal drinking age is 18; in Ontario, it’s 19. In Ontario, wine comes mostly from the LCBO or Wine Rack (and of late, some grocery stores); in Quebec, you can pick it up at the corner store. In Quebec, you must have snow tires on your vehicle; in Ontario, you can keep the all-season radials. .
Yet the looming inconsistency between provincial rules once cannabis is legalized has caused some brows to furrow. Here’s a different take: These differences are actually positive.
Some provinces may allow pot-smoking in public places where you can consume tobacco products now. Others will permit cannabis consumption only in private homes. Some will consider vape lounges, or let hotels designate smoking rooms; others won’t. Some provinces will sell through government agencies; others will license privately operated pot shops.
Experimentation with policy among the provinces may lead to the best policies being followed by all. If one province manages to run cannabis tourism without problems, others might adopt the same rules. Ontario and Quebec are approaching public pot smoking differently. Over time, both will see which approach is most sensible.
Provinces will also quickly discover which rules are actually enforceable. Will it be feasible to enforce the federal “four pot plants per household” rule? (Some provinces won’t allow even this many.) To measure their height to ensure they aren’t taller than the law allows? Provincial and municipal authorities will find out and tell each other.
The other reason a potpourri of provincial differences will be good is this: In liberal democracies, we value individual choice.
Those who like the odour of pot might opt for a Gatineau evening stroll; those who feel differently will stay in Ottawa. Whether you want to smoke in your apartment building, or in a hotel room, may dictate whether you live, or visit, the Gatineau or Ottawa sides of the river.
Will there be some confusion? Yes. But individuals have always been responsible for knowing what the law is when they visit a different jurisdiction. It will be no different for pot. Ottawa Citizen editorial board.