Answering some of the legalized pot puzzlers
THE POST LOOKS AT THE NUTS AND BOLTS
The Liberals’ landmark cannabis bill overcame its last legislative hurdle this week, meaning recreational marijuana will soon be legal across the country. But don’t get too excited just yet — you’re still not allowed to smoke it for another four months. And pot brownies are still off the table, too. So what’s the hold-up? And where will you be able to buy marijuana, smoke it, and grow it? The Post’s Maura Forrest answers some of the most pressing pot-related questions.
Q Why can’t I smoke pot legally now?
A Though Bill C-45 was passed by the Senate on Tuesday night and now awaits Royal assent, the law will only come into force on Oct. 17, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday. The delay is to give provinces and police forces time to prepare. Until then, the government is telling Canadians to follow the existing laws.
Q When will I be able to buy edible marijuana products?
A Not for a while yet. The federal government plans to legalize edibles within a year of the cannabis bill coming into force — so by October 2019.
Q Where will I be able to buy legal weed?
A This depends on where you live. Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Yukon and the Northwest Territories will sell marijuana in government-run stores, while Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador have chosen private retail models. British Columbia will allow both private and government-run stores, while Nunavut has no immediate plans for a brickand-mortar location. Most provincial and territorial governments will keep control of online sales.
Q How can I grow my own plants?
A As it stands, if you live in Quebec or Manitoba, you can’t. Both provinces plan to ban home cultivation, though the Liberals rejected an amendment to the federal law that would have recognized the provinces’ right to implement such bans. As a result, the provincial bans could be subject to court challenges. The federal law allows home cultivation of up to four plants and allows provincial retailers to sell seeds and small plants. However, it’s not clear how that will play out in every province. Global News reported in February that some provinces, including British Columbia and New Brunswick, weren’t planning to sell live plants to consumers.
Q Where will I be able to smoke it?
A Again, this depends on where you are. Public consumption is banned in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I. and Yukon, while most other jurisdictions will permit public consumption in some areas where smoking tobacco is allowed.
Q How old will I have to be? A
In Quebec and Alberta — 18. Everywhere else — 19.
Q How much will I be able to have on me?
AThe federal law allows individuals to carry up to 30 grams of dried cannabis in public.
Q How much will it cost?
A In December, federal and provincial finance ministers announced the cost of recreational marijuana could be about $10 per gram, with an excise tax of $1 on sales up to $10, and a 10-per-cent tax on sales worth more than $10. (Research suggests a typical joint can contain between 0.3 and 0.75 grams of cannabis.) Statistics Canada reported in March that the average price of cannabis on the existing illicit market is just under $7 per gram.
Q Can I consume any marijuana safely before driving?
A The science connecting cannabis with impairment is much less settled than when it comes to alcohol. But the government says it is taking a zero-tolerance approach, meaning that even small amounts of cannabis consumed shortly before driving could put you over the proposed limit. The roadside screening devices will stop detecting it in your saliva after six to eight hours, so that’s the only truly safe approach.
Q Can I get amnesty for my existing pot possession conviction?
A The Liberals have hinted they’re considering amnesty for people with minor criminal records for pot possession, but they have made no firm commitments. “We’re working hard to do the important work of repealing the existing legislation,” Liberal MP Bill Blair, the government’s point person on cannabis, told reporters Wednesday. “It will then be possible for the government to turn its mind to the issue of the existing records or any disparity that exists.”