With the legalization of marijuana on the horizon, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has recommended the legal age of consumption to be 21-years-old, with certain restrictions on quantity and potency until the age of 25.
The CMA submitted a list of recommendations to the task force on marijuana legalization and regulation on Aug. 29—which is based off of its experience regulating alcohol and tobacco.
Annick Losier, CMA director of communications, said in an email the task force was organized because of the belief that legalization is for the public good.
The CMA recommendations include putting a limit on how much marijuana a person can buy, creating a “phase-in” period or pilot projects to prepare for legalization, and prohibiting marketing and advertising of pot.
One of the recommendations was to ban “high potency” marijuana and restrict certain types of products, according to a press release from the CMA.
Colette Rivet, executive director of the Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association (CMCIA) said limiting potency could have negative effects, since it could push people to purchase higher-potency marijuana on the black market.
“Youth were already going to the black market to get it, so if you don’t provide it to some of these people, that’s where they’re going to go,” she said.
Rivet added that pot should be advertised to “describe what’s in the product to people.”
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) spokesperson Carly Wolff said there should be a “consistent minimum age” across all provinces for purchasing and possessing cannabis.
“Cross-border discrepancies may limit the effectiveness of having minimum age restrictions because the product is still available for youth,” she said.
Higher prices on pot would help discourage use, according to the CMA statement, but they said prices should not be too high, as it could push illegal trade.
The marijuana industry could generate $10 billion a year, and a portion of this revenue should be invested in the health and social costs of legalization, according to the CMA.
Rivet said the most important aspect of legalization will be to offer education on marijuana, something which hasn’t been available for years.
“Public education is where we have to go and explain to people what [the] effects and symptoms of cannabis [are],” Rivet said. “We’ve said whatever tax dollars we get out of this should be channeled to education for the general public and we’d be happy to assist with this.”
Frances Woolley, a Carleton University professor and author of an opinion piece published in Globe and Mail titled, “Marijuana monopoly: Three problems with Wynne’s plan,” said in an email that the current system has been failing youth.
“I would want to find a way of encouraging people whose brains are still developing to limit their alcohol and marijuana consumption,” she said. “Unfortunately it’s not clear that the current regime is doing an effective job of promoting responsible marijuana use.”
Roughly 30,000 citizens responded to an online survey issued by the task force on marijuana legalization and regulation, according to CBC. The task force will analyze the responses and include it in a report to the Trudeau government this November.
The task force has also taken perspectives from outside of the country, travelling to Colorado and Washington where marijuana is already legalized, according to the task force’s website.
Losier said investigating all areas of legalization is critical for a smooth transition.
“Focusing on the legalization issue alone is inadequate to deal with the complexity of the situation,” Losier said.
