Friday, December 16, 2016

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Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday, December 16, 2016 Trudeau Comfortable With Minimum Age Of 18 To Buy Legal Pot Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thinks Canadians old enough to drink alcohol are old enough to smoke marijuana legally. Trudeau made the comment a press conference in Ottawa Thursday, days after aÊfederal task force on marijuana legalizationÊrecommended the national minimum age to buyÊrecreational marijuana beÊset at 18. The report also suggested provinces and territories be permitted to raise the age to harmonize with alcohol consumption laws. In most provinces, the legal drinking age is 19. In Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta, the age limit is 18. The Canadian Medical Association had urged the task force to recommend aÊminimum age of 21, pointing to evidence that brains are stillÊdeveloping until the age of 25. The prime minister, who has long said pot legalization is about keeping the drug away from children and profits away from criminals, told reporters the task forceÕsÊrecommendation felt like a ÒreasonableÓ compromise. ÒWe know the largest misdeeds of marijuana use happens at a lower age than 18, 19 years of age, and I think this is a responsible approach that we have found in terms ofÊbalance that is both practical and useful,Ó he said in French. The task force, chaired by former Liberal justice minister Anne McLellan, acknowledged in its report that there are aÊrange of viewsÊon the right age to be able to buy legal pot. Setting the age too high risks Òpreserving the illicit market,Ó the report reads, and raising the possibility young Canadians will face criminal records since Òthe highest rates ofÊuse are in the 18 to 24 age range.Ó The report also said a minimum age of 25, as recommended by the CMA, was ÒunrealisticÓ and would force many young Canadians to turn to the black market. (Source: Huffington Post)Êhttp://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/12/15/trudeau-pot-age-18-task-force_n_13656050.html Canada, marij

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday, December 16, 2016

Trudeau Comfortable With Minimum Age Of 18 To Buy Legal Pot

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thinks Canadians old enough to drink alcohol are old enough to smoke marijuana legally.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday September 16, 2016 Health Canada plans to restrict fentanyl chemicals Health Canada plans to restrict six chemicals used to make fentanylÊas part of OttawaÕs attempt to address what it calls the national opioid crisis. Health Minister Jane Philpott says a bill brought in by Sen. Vern White means the federal government can act quickly to make the unauthorized import and export of the chemicals illegal. In a news release, Health Canada says its regulatory proposal expeditiously achieves the intent of WhiteÕs bill. Philpott says she is also planning a summit to take place this fall to address the opioid crisis. In British Columbia, a joint task force examining the drug overdose crisis used International Overdose Awareness Day to highlight steps the province is taking on opioid overdoses. Leaders of the task force, the provincial health officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, and the director of police services, Clayton Pecknold, say long-term and first-time users are affected equally, and no one who tries illicit drugs is safe. Kendall and Pecknold say certain steps can reduce the chance of an overdose, and they are using the international awareness day as a platform to launch the first phase of B.C.Õs fight against drug deaths. They point to a new testing service to help users determine if their drugs contain potentially deadly contaminants such as fentanyl.(Source: Toronto Star)Êhttps://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/08/31/health-canada-plans-to-restrict-fentanyl-chemicals.html Canada, Justin Trudeau, marijuana, drug, legalization, fentanyl, Ottawa, criminal, opiate

September 16, 2016

Trudeau made the comment a press conference in Ottawa Thursday, days after a federal task force on marijuana legalization recommended the national minimum age to buy recreational marijuana be set at 18. The report also suggested provinces and territories be permitted to raise the age to harmonize with alcohol consumption laws.

In most provinces, the legal drinking age is 19. In Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta, the age limit is 18.

The Canadian Medical Association had urged the task force to recommend a minimum age of 21, pointing to evidence that brains are still developing until the age of 25.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday April 21, 2016 Marijuana legislation coming to Canada next spring CanadaÕs legislation to begin the process of legalizing and regulating marijuana will be introduced next spring, Health Minister Jane Philpott announced Wednesday at the United Nations. During her impassioned speech at a special UN session on drugs, Philpott acknowledged the pot plan Òchallenges the status quo in many countries,Ó but she said the Liberal government is convinced itÕs the best way to protect youth, while enhancing public safety. Canada must do better when it comes to drug policy, she added, saying the governmentÕs approach will be rooted in science and will address the devastating consequences of drugs and drug-related crimes. ÒI am proud to stand up for our drug policy that is informed by solid scientific evidence and uses a lens of public health to maximize education and minimize harm,Ó she said. ÒAs a doctor, who has worked both in Canada and sub-Saharan Africa, I have seen too many people suffer the devastating consequences of drugs, drug-related crime and ill-conceived drug policy. Fortunately, solutions are within our grasp.Ó Philpott began her speech with an emotional recounting of a story she recently heard from a mother who lost her daughter to substance abuse. The woman described watching her daughter die as she sought help that should have been available to save her life, Philpott said. ÒShe described watching her daughter slip away as she struggled to access the treatment and services that should have been available to save a beautiful, fragile life,Ó she said. ÒStories like this are far too commonplace. Countless lives are cut short due to overdoses of licit and illicit substances. Today, I stand before you as CanadaÕs minister of health to acknowledge that we must do better for our citizens.Ó PhilpottÕs address happened to coincide with 4/20 the annual day of celebration for cannabis culture l

April 21, 2016

The prime minister, who has long said pot legalization is about keeping the drug away from children and profits away from criminals, told reporters the task force’s recommendation felt like a “reasonable” compromise.

“We know the largest misdeeds of marijuana use happens at a lower age than 18, 19 years of age, and I think this is a responsible approach that we have found in terms of balance that is both practical and useful,” he said in French.

The task force, chaired by former Liberal justice minister Anne McLellan, acknowledged in its report that there are a range of views on the right age to be able to buy legal pot.

Monday, July 29, 2013

July 29, 2013

Setting the age too high risks “preserving the illicit market,” the report reads, and raising the possibility young Canadians will face criminal records since “the highest rates of use are in the 18 to 24 age range.”

The report also said a minimum age of 25, as recommended by the CMA, was “unrealistic” and would force many young Canadians to turn to the black market. (Source: Huffington Post)