Province to consult with public on marijuana legalization
Nova Scotia will be launching its public consultations for marijuana legalization within days, with results expected to be compiled and released before the end of the year, the premier’s office has confirmed.
Of the Atlantic provinces, Nova Scotia is the last to launch its consultations, which will include telephone and online surveys. P.E.I. just completed an online consultation, garnering around 3,000 responses, Newfoundland released a report of its consultation period in August, and New Brunswick — the furthest along — last month announced its framework for legalization, including plans to follow Ontario in creating a Crown corporation to oversee all pot sales.
New Brunswick has also already signed deals with suppliers.
The premiers of all four Atlantic provinces have stressed the need for regulation continuity across the region.
Speaking with The Chronicle Herald earlier in the week, Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said while things like age and price should stay consistent to avoid cross-border shopping, he doesn’t see sale method as something that has to be the same across the region.
“The distribution could be different in each province; that’s not so much an issue. Each one will find their own way, but certainly surrounding some of the regulations, particularly the age one, (consistency) will be important,” McNeil said.
This will come as good news for some. Many advocates for legal weed are concerned that shutting out the private sector like Ontario and New Brunswick have done will only cause the black market to continue to thrive.
Although the opposition parties in Nova Scotia have expressed concern that the province is dragging its heels on putting together a framework for legalization, McNeil has remained steadfast that everything will be be in place by the time the substance is legalized in July of 2018.
“A lot of work has been done already in our province. There’s work across the country happening (and) when you look at best practices we can certainly learn from other jurisdictions.”