Today, Mike Farnworth, BC’s Solicitor General and Minister of Public Safety, announced the creation of a joint committee on cannabis regulation with BC’s municipalities. This gives municipalities a more active and collaborative role in the development of the cannabis regulation framework the province is currently working on.
He was attending the Union of BC Municipalities conference, and he also announced a public engagement survey where British Columbians can give their feedback on non-medical cannabis. This includes on important aspects such as “minimum age, personal possession limits, public consumption, drug-impaired driving, personal cultivation, and distribution and retail models”, according to the website.
You have until Nov. 1st, 2017, which gives you just over a month at the time of this writing.
The federal government has left the regulation and distribution of cannabis largely up to the provinces, and municipalities have felt left out of the process. As White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin told Postmedia, “We’re just kind of being ignored. Which is too bad, because we’re the ones who are going to have to implement it.”
The joint committee and public engagement website are both positive steps forward, and it’s an opportunity for the provincial government to listen to the knowledge, experience, and concerns of the people and municipalities.
Manitoba has a similar survey seeking public feedback, and Ontario recently announced their plans earlier in September.