THUNDER BAY - The coordinator of the Thunder Bay Drug Strategy is pleased with parts of the Ontario government's rollout plan for selling marijuana.
The province announced on Friday that, in response to Ottawa's move to legalize cannabis by July 2018, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario will oversee the operation of a network of stand-alone cannabis retail stores.
80 outlets are expected to open across the province, servicing all regions, by July 1, 2019. By 2020, the government expects to have established 150 outlets.
The Thunder Bay Drug Strategy is a coalition of more than 30 partner agencies and community members.
Coordinator Cynthia Olsen said the group was involved in preparing a brief which recommended that marijuana not be sold alongside alcohol.
"We know that alcohol and marijuana use is quite high in Ontario and across Canada. if you increase somebody's ability and access in one location, that might increase people using multiple substances, which poses increased risks health-wise, social-wise etc."
The government's decision not to co-locate the sale of the two products alleviates that concern, Olsen said.
She also welcomed the province's decision to limit the sale of cannabis to people 19 and older, matching the legal drinking age in Ontario. "That was one of the recommendations from our panel...so that's a good sign."
But parts of the rollout still have to be worked out.
Olsen hopes municipalities are given some control over the selection of locations.
"We know that with alcohol outlets, the more they are available, the more people can access them. We also need to ensure that there is access, because if we don't have enough access, then people will still resort to the illegal market."
Olsen said she'd like cities and towns to have the power to make decisions about dispersement of marijuana outlets in their own communities.
In its announcement, the government said only that it intends "to consult closely" with municipalities, Indigenous communities and stakeholders to determine additional details about the retail and distribution system.
Decisions regarding pricing and taxation, it said, will be made after further details are provided by the federal government, but those decisions "will be informed by focusing on the objectives of discouraging consumption and eliminating the illegal market."
Legislation will be introduced at Queen's Park this fall, after provincewide consultations are finished.
