Anyone 19 years old and up will be able to buy recreational marijuana in B.C. once it香蕉视频直播檚 legalized next July.
The province has announced it would set the legal minimum age at 19, in line with alcohol and tobacco.
香蕉视频直播淲e know the largest consumers of cannabis are young people in that 19- to 30-year-old age range,香蕉视频直播 said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth. 香蕉视频直播淚f you set [the age] to high, at say 25, you香蕉视频直播檙e not going to be able to get rid of that black market.香蕉视频直播
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Also like alcohol, wholesale distribution of recreational pot will be handled by the BC Liquor Distribution Branch.
The drug will also be sold by both public and private retailers, although Farnworth said the government hadn香蕉视频直播檛 yet decided whether or not they would place marijuana on the same shelf as booze.
香蕉视频直播淓very other province is going through a provincial system,香蕉视频直播 he said, 香蕉视频直播渁nd it allows us a significant control, which the public has said is important.香蕉视频直播
Farnworth did not go further into taxation, zoning, local government input or what exactly the retail model will look, saying those details will come early next year.
The province is 香蕉视频直播渁cutely香蕉视频直播 aware, he added, that a too-high price won香蕉视频直播檛 be able to knock out the black market.
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He did express optimism that the federal government had 香蕉视频直播渂acked off香蕉视频直播 its 50-50 taxation split, but said B.C. was not relying on revenue from taxation yet, citing startup costs and indecision from Ottawa.
Tuesday香蕉视频直播檚 announcement comes after several weeks of public consultation that collected input from nearly 50,000 British Columbians, as well as submissions from 141 local and Indigenous governments.
Troy, the manager of Vancouver香蕉视频直播檚 Lime Life Society who did not want his last name published, said the proposed regulations are overbearing for an industry that he says has done fine on its own.
香蕉视频直播淭he plan to sell it in liquor stores is completely unfeasible and unreasonable,香蕉视频直播 he told Black Press. 香蕉视频直播淯nfortunately, it香蕉视频直播檚 people making decisions about products and services they don香蕉视频直播檛 know much about, or aren香蕉视频直播檛 educated on.
香蕉视频直播淗opefully, anything they do will be challenged with Charter of Rights and Freedoms challenge.香蕉视频直播
The federal bill to legalize and regulate marijuana, introduced in early 2017, in the House of Commons last week.
It now moves to the Senate, where it is likely to face heavy opposition from Conservatives who argue legalization should be delayed because the process is being rushed.
: Province to set age for recreational marijuana use at 19, go with a wholesale distribution model and have private and public retail outlets. More details to come in 2018
香蕉视频直播 Kat Slepian (@katslepian)