Another cannabis conundrum

This editorial appeared in the St. John’s Telegram: Think about it not as marijuana, but as smoke — and then think about just how complicated the regulation of the drug will be.

Consider this admittedly ludicrous example: say you were in Vancouver, you were having company in and wanted to show off to your guests by burning a big batt of weed in your old-style fireplace. Once the stuff is legal, you can do what you like, right?

Well, maybe not — and not because it’s weed, but because it makes smoke, and that smoke could threaten air quality.

Vancouver is looking at requiring those who use stoves and fireplaces to move to more expensive, higher efficiency wood-burning stoves and fireplaces.

It’s just part of the complexity of bringing a new product into a legislative framework — one where smokable products are already regulated.

Municipalities are waiting for provinces to bring down rules on marijuana use and sales to decide things like municipal zoning regulations. At least one province, Ontario, has already launched its provincial law regulating use of the drug, and has run into some interesting issues. The province will handle the distribution of the drug, and will bring into effect a regulatory regime that will slap illegal private dispensaries with massive fines. Corporations could be fined $1 million, while individuals could face $100,000 fines.

Even more challenging is where you’ll be allowed to smoke: the Ontario law is proposing adults will only be allowed to smoke in their own homes.

Existing law for cigarette smoking in Ontario blocks smoking in common areas of apartment buildings, and you can appeal to the province’s residential tenancies board if a neighbour’s smoking is affecting your quality of life. In some cases, a tenant can be evicted for failing to address second-hand smoke concerns.

But the proposed marijuana law gives people precious few options of places to smoke other than their home or apartment.