Ontario asks feds to clear the air over legalized dope

Things are a little less hazy now.

The Ontario government, which has a Cannabis Secretariat gearing up for legalized recreational marijuana next year, is welcoming “clarity” from Ottawa.

But in the wake of the federal-provincial finance ministers’ meeting on weed, Premier Kathleen Wynne says it is still too early to say how and where it will be sold here in the province once it is legal on July 1, 2018.

“We’re looking at different options. Nothing has been finalized,” Wynne said Tuesday.

The provincial secretariat made up of officials from 12 departments is studying a myriad of issues, including where recreational marijuana should be sold.

Wynne has always maintained that Queen’s Park will have some role in the distribution and regulation of cannabis, though she has moved away from previous musings about it being available at LCBO stores.

However, the illegal cash-only “dispensaries” that still exist on many Toronto streets will almost certainly be prohibited once the province determines its retail model.

“You will know that the work that’s being done on our government is focused on protection of people,” the premier told reporters. “Protection of young people, protection of the vulnerable, and answering questions about safety — like road safety — and so we’ll continue to do that work.”

On Monday, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau emphasized to his provincial counterparts that the July 1, 2018, deadline was firm — a move welcomed by Wynne.

Morneau said Monday that tax rates on cannabis should be kept low to avoid encouraging weed users from buying black-market products.

Ontario’s Finance Minister Charles Sousa pointed out that any tax bonanza would have to pay the costs of the new reality of legal weed, including road safety, public health, and education programs.