Provinces’ role in marijuana legalization not certain

The federal health minister says the exact role of the provinces in regulating legal marijuana has yet to be determined, but there is a model in how they already deal with alcohol and tobacco.

Jane Philpott announced last week at the United Nations that the Canadian government would introduce legislation next spring to legalize pot.

The Liberals plan to appoint a task force to work out the issues raised by legalization, including the responsibilities of provincial governments.

Speaking to reporters at the Liberals’ cabinet retreat in Kananaskis, Philpott said it’s too early to talk specifics but noted provinces already have a regulatory role.

“They can look, for example, to the fact that they have legislation around other products, such as tobacco and alcohol, but until we have a bit better idea about our legislation, I think it’s too early to say,” she said.

The Alberta government regulates the sale and consumption of alcohol through the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission. Similarly, it also sets rules around tobacco, regulating what products can be sold, the legal age for consumption and where it is allowed to be used.

Both tobacco and alcohol are also subject to significant provincial taxation — with the province projecting nearly $2 billion in revenue from the commodities in 2016-17.

Philpott acknowledged that how potential tax revenue from legal weed will be divided between provincial and federal governments is “one of the big questions” for the task force.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who promised legalization in last fall’s federal election campaign, has in the past downplayed the prospect of significant tax revenue from marijuana and suggested most of the money raised should go to addiction and support programs.

Alberta Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said alcohol and tobacco are not a “perfect analogy” for marijuana, but the province will have a role to play in concert with Ottawa.

“There will need to be some regulations around who can use it, ensuring that people don’t use it before operating a motor vehicle, where it can be grown, where it can be sold, that sort of thing,” she said.

Ganley said the Alberta government has been reaching out to other jurisdictions where pot has been legalized, including the states of Colorado and Washington, as well as Washington, D.C., to look at “best practices.”

The federal government is well within its rights to legalize marijuana and has given a “sufficient” amount of time for the kinks to be ironed out, said the minister.