At their Oct. 24 council meeting, Quesnel’s mayor and council plowed through a 39-page document to give the province input for policy considerations for a regulatory framework for non-medical cannabis.
With the federal government reviewing bills C-45 (the Cannabis Act) and C-46 (an amendment to the Criminal Code) and expecting to bring them into force in July 2018, the provincial government doesn’t have much time to prepare its regulatory framework.
The province will be responsible for the regulation and distribution and sale of cannabis.
The provincial government put out a policy paper for municipalities to provide some input.
Council agreed the minimum age for buying, growing or possessing marijuana should be 19 years to have consistency with minimum age for tobacco, alcohol and the age of minority.
Regarding personal possession for youth and the intent not to criminalize youth possessing small amounts of pot, councillors agreed under-aged youth caught with cannabis should just have it confiscated.
In respect to public consumption, it was determined there isn’t much for council to do until the province determines regulations around the issue. However, regulation changes may then be required.
Drug-impaired driving legislation will likely be expensive for municipal governments in terms of the cost for additional resources for RCMP to carry out enforcement. Staff recommended requesting senior governments share revenue obtained on the regulation of cannabis to support the costs.
Regarding personal cultivation, Bill C-45 allows people to grow up to four cannabis plants per household to a maximum height of 100 cm. Staff noted there will be policy consideration for the maintenance bylaw currently being developed regarding mould and unsafe electrical work.
Staff recommend the province set the requirements across B.C. without variation between local governments for consistency and understanding of the public.
In terms of a distribution model, council was unanimous in its thinking in that councillors supported the use of a public retailer (liquor store) with a potential move to private retailers in the future.