B.C. doctors suggest ban on growing pot at home
Doctors of B.C. is asking the provincial government to consider banning individuals from growing recreational pot at home when it becomes legal in July.
The group was one of more than 130 stakeholders offering feedback to the B.C. government as part of its consultation on cannabis regulation and distribution. The variety of submissions points to the complex decisions government faces.
Doctors of B.C. provided a list of “considerations” since there isn’t enough evidence to make a strong recommendation, said president-elect Dr. Eric Cadesky. “There isn’t a consensus amongst doctors. The feedback we got contained many different points of view.”
He said that’s because there are no clear guidelines on how to safely grow and use cannabis.
Under federal Bill C-45, adults would be allowed to grow up to four cannabis plants per household.
Doctors of B.C. cited a Canadian Medical Association recommendation that identified potential health risks with home cultivation, such as high humidity and temperatures, risk of fire and pesticide use. Children might also have access to the plants and there’s a lack of quality control for potency.
The federal government has set July 1 as the date for marijuana legalization and it’s up to provinces to figure out how it will be regulated and distributed in each province.
That means determining matters such as legal age for consumption, possession limits, home cultivation rules and who will be allowed to sell marijuana.
B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth has said the government won’t have any word on regulation and distribution models before the spring session of the legislature.
The B.C. Association of Municipal Chiefs of Police is asking for more funding to support training for drug-recognition experts and field sobriety testing for cannabis-enforcement teams and a seed-to-sale inspection strategy.
The police association also recommends pricing that is competitive with the black market, setting the consumption age at 19 and creating penalty structures for public consumption similar to alcohol.
It says only licensed commercial producers should be allowed grow it.