Marijuana shop a good idea but legal age should be 21: Salvaterra

Peterborough’s medical officer of health isn’t surprised the city is getting an LCBO-run marijuana store – in fact, she welcomes it.

“I think it’s a safe and responsible way to provide cannabis and I’d rather see that than online sales because you can better enforce who’s purchasing the cannabis,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Peterborough Public Health’s medical officer of health.

Salvaterra hasn’t received official word that a marijuana store is coming to Peterborough, but the city’s CAO, Allan Seabrooke, broke the news Friday.

The city will get one store, selling for recreational use, that’ll be open by July.

Although its location hasn’t been decided, the provincial government has already said none of the shops can be near schools.

Peterborough is one of 40 cities involved in the Ontario government’s initial pot shop launches. Ontario plans to open roughly 150 by 2020 after the federal Liberal government decided to legalize recreational marijuana use as of July 1, 2018.

Salvaterra hopes the federal government will follow through with its plan to limit cannabis’ uptake by youth, through methods like plain packaging, warnings, and no promotion.

“The later we can delay initiation with cannabis, the safer it will be, especially for youth,” she said.

The brain continues to develop up to the age of 25, Salvaterra said, and heavy use of cannabis can do irreversible harm and damage.

The legal age to buy pot in Ontario will be 19.

In Salvaterra’s opinion, marijuana sales should be restricted to those who’re at least 21, but she sees why the province set it at 19 to align with alcohol and tobacco sales.

Having government owned and operated cannabis shops, will help protect youth, she said, by ensuring it doesn’t get into the hands of kids.

“Hopefully, the people selling the product will be well trained as they are now in LCBO and they’ll also be able to advise people of the harms as well as the benefits.”

The province has declared that pot is only to be smoked at home and not in public spaces. Other provinces’ rules differ.

Salvaterra applauds the Ontario government on that move, but thinks there’s still work to be done in that area.

Much like tobacco smoke, cannabis smoke will circulate within the buildings through its ventilation systems, exposing other residents and children.

The health unit is currently working with Landlords to promote smoke-free multi-unit dwellings.

“That’s the best case scenario.”