Opinion: These are the 5 biggest mistakes of cannabis legalization in Canada | Grow by Daily Hive - Sarah Leaman:
June 24, 2019 - "It’s been nearly nine months since the legalization of cannabis, but things are far from perfect in the great green north. Here are the five biggest fails of Canadian cannabis legalization so far:
Packaging
"Cannabis packaging requirements shocked the public when they were unveiled back in October and it quickly became apparent that way too much plastic was involved. Following legalization, a single gram of cannabis comes with approximately 70 grams of plastic, foil, and packaging. The amount of packaging goes up if cannabis is sent through the mail. And to add insult to irony, just a few weeks ago, the Prime Minister announced a comprehensive, intended ban on single-use plastics in an effort to help combat climate change, leaving the government’s approach to cannabis completely disconnected from reality....
Impaired driving laws
"When cannabis was legalized, several new impaired driving laws were also introduced. The first of these laws involved the launch of roadside oral fluid screening devices..... We presently have two federally approved devices for police use on our roadways: the Draeger DrugTest 5000 and the Abbott SoToxa. The problem? Neither of these devices are able to detect driver impairment. And, on top of that major malfunction, both devices are prone to failure, meaning that they can generate both false positive and false negative readings....
"And to make a bad situation worse, the Criminal Code has been amended to include per se limits for THC in a driver’s bloodstream. This mirrors provisions in relation to alcohol. But ... THC is fat-soluble; not water-soluble like alcohol..... This means that THC can remain in a persons’ body for an extended period of time and long after the effects of impairment have worn off, which will inevitably lead to sober people being charged with serious offences.
"While these changes were done in the interests of public safety, there has been absolutely no indication that they were necessary. Rates of impaired driving have not increased ... since October 17, 2018.
Continued criminalization
"While cannabis is technically legal in Canada, the flower is still far from being free.... [T]he Cannabis Act concurrently created over forty new cannabis-related offences in this country.... Many offences could land a person with a criminal record, or even behind bars.... And ... the government has been dragging its heels on the issue of cannabis amnesty. Failure to include amnesty provisions from the very outset of cannabis legalization was a critical misstep, which opened the door to criticism about the governments’ commitment to true cannabis decriminalization.....
Stigmatizing employment policies
"When cannabis was legalized on October 17, 2018, many employers acted as though it had just been invented that very day.... The kneejerk reaction to legal cannabis caused employers to create strict new policies around cannabis [as] in the airline industry, which has effectively banned cannabis use for all employees, no matter if they are on duty or not. The 28-day pre-flight cannabis ban sits in stark contrast to Transport Canada policies around alcohol, which simply prohibit consumption 12-hours prior to reporting for duty.
Distribution and shortages
"Last but certainly not least, are issues around effective cannabis distribution and shortages that have plagued our country since legalization.... Canadians wishing to access a legal supply were forced to wait in long lines and subject themselves to unreasonable wait times. With few brick and mortar stores up and running, many Canadians were left to rely on the internet to order online.... This dissatisfaction only worsened when the government reported that systematic cannabis shortages could be expected for years to come. Current projections predict that cannabis shortages will last well into 2022."
Read more: https://dailyhive.com/grow/cannabis-legalization-fails-canada
'via Blog this'
June 24, 2019 - "It’s been nearly nine months since the legalization of cannabis, but things are far from perfect in the great green north. Here are the five biggest fails of Canadian cannabis legalization so far:
Packaging
"Cannabis packaging requirements shocked the public when they were unveiled back in October and it quickly became apparent that way too much plastic was involved. Following legalization, a single gram of cannabis comes with approximately 70 grams of plastic, foil, and packaging. The amount of packaging goes up if cannabis is sent through the mail. And to add insult to irony, just a few weeks ago, the Prime Minister announced a comprehensive, intended ban on single-use plastics in an effort to help combat climate change, leaving the government’s approach to cannabis completely disconnected from reality....
Impaired driving laws
"When cannabis was legalized, several new impaired driving laws were also introduced. The first of these laws involved the launch of roadside oral fluid screening devices..... We presently have two federally approved devices for police use on our roadways: the Draeger DrugTest 5000 and the Abbott SoToxa. The problem? Neither of these devices are able to detect driver impairment. And, on top of that major malfunction, both devices are prone to failure, meaning that they can generate both false positive and false negative readings....
"And to make a bad situation worse, the Criminal Code has been amended to include per se limits for THC in a driver’s bloodstream. This mirrors provisions in relation to alcohol. But ... THC is fat-soluble; not water-soluble like alcohol..... This means that THC can remain in a persons’ body for an extended period of time and long after the effects of impairment have worn off, which will inevitably lead to sober people being charged with serious offences.
Continued criminalization
"While cannabis is technically legal in Canada, the flower is still far from being free.... [T]he Cannabis Act concurrently created over forty new cannabis-related offences in this country.... Many offences could land a person with a criminal record, or even behind bars.... And ... the government has been dragging its heels on the issue of cannabis amnesty. Failure to include amnesty provisions from the very outset of cannabis legalization was a critical misstep, which opened the door to criticism about the governments’ commitment to true cannabis decriminalization.....
Stigmatizing employment policies
"When cannabis was legalized on October 17, 2018, many employers acted as though it had just been invented that very day.... The kneejerk reaction to legal cannabis caused employers to create strict new policies around cannabis [as] in the airline industry, which has effectively banned cannabis use for all employees, no matter if they are on duty or not. The 28-day pre-flight cannabis ban sits in stark contrast to Transport Canada policies around alcohol, which simply prohibit consumption 12-hours prior to reporting for duty.
Distribution and shortages
"Last but certainly not least, are issues around effective cannabis distribution and shortages that have plagued our country since legalization.... Canadians wishing to access a legal supply were forced to wait in long lines and subject themselves to unreasonable wait times. With few brick and mortar stores up and running, many Canadians were left to rely on the internet to order online.... This dissatisfaction only worsened when the government reported that systematic cannabis shortages could be expected for years to come. Current projections predict that cannabis shortages will last well into 2022."
Read more: https://dailyhive.com/grow/cannabis-legalization-fails-canada
'via Blog this'
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