Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis • Hacker News Board

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#91

Post by leesalminen » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 12:41 AM UTC

aianus wrote: post #86

developer2 wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We'll have to see whether grow-at-home will be permitted. Here in Canada it is illegal to operate a spirits distillery in your home. I wouldn't be surprised if it is not legalized, as it opens up avenues for "criminal selling", ie: people growing at home and selling it - bypassing taxation. And, let's be honest, government revenue from taxation is the real reason legalization is even on the table. It doesn't matter h…

> If officials think that your average daily consumers - not the new people who will toke once legal, but those who already consume daily - are going to tolerate an increase of any amount for the product... enjoy the black market that will continue to proliferate. I'm sure most people will pay more for better quality, same way I buy wine from LCBO instead of fermenting it myself in plastic barrels (which I could tota…

I live in Colorado, and thought it was going to be the same way for myself and for the general public.

However, over the past year or so I've found it more convenient to visit a store than my "guy". There's a store within walking distance to my home, predictable hours, regular sales and loyalty programs.

All in all, I'm happy to pay more for those things. Many feel the same.

Yes, the black market will still exist- but I think you'll see more local growers fueling the market than south of the border cartels.

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#92

Post by leesalminen » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 12:44 AM UTC

ant6n wrote: post #67

martythemaniak wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, they have promised legalization. However there's virtually no chance of this being a free-for-all. What I expect the main features to be: - Certified and regulated producers, though not numerically limited - heavily-taxed. - no problems growing your own. - retail distribution depends on province. More liberal in BC, government-run in Ontario. - separate certifications for places "serving" (ie, pot cafes). Can't t…

...I'd prefer my neighbors not to stink up the whole building with their skunk stench.

There are plenty of commercial grade filters available for just about any space. Perhaps your HOA/apartment complex could form regulations around ventilation, filtration, waste disposal, etc..

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#93

Post by lee » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 12:47 AM UTC

One thing that I am disappointed in is that I wish the Liberal government first decriminalized marijuana.

For one thing, decriminalization is easy to do. Simply revoke the current criminal laws. The bill would be passed quite quickly. Which would then buy time to figure out a bill for legalization.

Why is this important? Despite popular belief, simple possession laws ARE upheld in Canada, but the people charged are disproportionately minorities and poor/homeless people. IIRC, there were 40 000+ criminal charges for simple possession last year in Canada. That means thousands of citizens who are now burdened with a criminal record, making job searches difficult and border crossings into the US.

So while laws for legalizing pot are getting figured out in Parliament, more people keep getting locked up for simple possession.

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#94

Post by kobayashi » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 12:53 AM UTC

grecy wrote: post #90

kobayashi wrote: post #87

Very big hiccup that this policy might possibly run up against: the American border. Given the 280,326,500,000 USD in exports that Canada sends to the US [0], even a minor disruption at the border could wreak devastation on Canada's economy. If an American administration even hinted at an increase in border wait times due to newly enhanced searches as a result of legalization, any Canadian federal government would ha…

What you say is true, though it would be a sad day when the future of what Canadians want Canada to be is limited by the financial pressure of another country. Of course, to prevent this problem, Canada could just hint at slowing down or limiting the 12410000000 barrels of oil it exports to the USA [1] (see, two can play that game, and nobody wins) [1] http://business.financialpost.com/news/energy/canadian-oil-e...

Agreed that nobody wins in a trade war, though, the threat of limiting the oil flowing south isn't very credible. Canada is already hemorrhaging money due to the downturn in oil pricing and the subsequent devaluing of the Loonie. Also, Canada doesn't really have any other options of where to send the oil, as thanks to a variety of political actors, Canada hasn't been able to build a pipeline to the west coast to move the oil overseas to places like China. Lastly, I don't even think that the Canadian federal government could reduce the flow of oil, as the sector is in private hands. I suppose something might be able to be done with cross-border rail movement, but I'm not sure. Regardless, it would be cutting the nose to spite the face, so the point is pretty well moot.

As for the ability of Canadians to create their own policies of self-government solely on internal politics without regard for geopolitical implications, I'm not going to pout over it. Geopolitics and international relations effect the internal politics of every country, and American concerns are not without merit.

If a Democrat wins the WH, I'd be surprised if that threat were levied, as it would anger much of the Democratic base. However, who knows what the future will hold. Law enforcement agencies certainly hold a great deal of policy sway in the US (as in most countries), and my take is that they're more anti-legalization than the average American voter and politician.

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#95

Post by kobayashi » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 12:57 AM UTC

lee wrote: post #93

One thing that I am disappointed in is that I wish the Liberal government first decriminalized marijuana. For one thing, decriminalization is easy to do. Simply revoke the current criminal laws. The bill would be passed quite quickly. Which would then buy time to figure out a bill for legalization. Why is this important? Despite popular belief, simple possession laws ARE upheld in Canada, but the people charged are d…

Yah, but if you decriminalize possession it's a boon for the (still) illegal dealers and distributors. Is there any credible data to discredit my take on this?

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#96

Post by snowwindwaves » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 12:59 AM UTC

developer2 wrote: post #79

martythemaniak wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, they have promised legalization. However there's virtually no chance of this being a free-for-all. What I expect the main features to be: - Certified and regulated producers, though not numerically limited - heavily-taxed. - no problems growing your own. - retail distribution depends on province. More liberal in BC, government-run in Ontario. - separate certifications for places "serving" (ie, pot cafes). Can't t…

We'll have to see whether grow-at-home will be permitted. Here in Canada it is illegal to operate a spirits distillery in your home. I wouldn't be surprised if it is not legalized, as it opens up avenues for "criminal selling", ie: people growing at home and selling it - bypassing taxation. And, let's be honest, government revenue from taxation is the real reason legalization is even on the table. It doesn't matter h…

Here in British Columbia my friends who smoke prefer going to the dispensaries that have opened over their old local drug dealer. It is more convenient to go to a store with regular hours than to arrange a meeting. They also get to choose exactly which strains they are buying instead of having to take what is available. I think it is going to be very difficult to earn a decent income only selling weed.

Edit; there was a house worth 1.5 million for sale nearby, a beautiful custom home on a big lot, for sale for 400,000 because it had a grow op which is the same as a meth lab in the eyes of the law. No bank will lend on the property, the occupancy permit for the house is revoked, and the soil is considered contaminated until proven otherwise. All for a bunch of plants! Many laws and regulations will have to catch up for people to be able to legally grow at home with no repercussions.

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#97

Post by cmrdporcupine » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 1:09 AM UTC

jonknee wrote: post #88

developer2 wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We'll have to see whether grow-at-home will be permitted. Here in Canada it is illegal to operate a spirits distillery in your home. I wouldn't be surprised if it is not legalized, as it opens up avenues for "criminal selling", ie: people growing at home and selling it - bypassing taxation. And, let's be honest, government revenue from taxation is the real reason legalization is even on the table. It doesn't matter h…

> Here in Canada it is illegal to operate a spirits distillery in your home. I wouldn't be surprised if it is not legalized, as it opens up avenues for "criminal selling", ie: people growing at home and selling it - bypassing taxation. Stills are also very dangerous which is a good enough reason to keep them out of homes. Your pot plant isn't going to explode as a high pressure fireball.

Personal wine production is also regulated. There are limits on quantities, you can't sell it, restrictions on serving it at functions, etc.

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#98

Post by indlebe » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 1:11 AM UTC

kobayashi wrote: post #95

lee wrote: post #93

One thing that I am disappointed in is that I wish the Liberal government first decriminalized marijuana. For one thing, decriminalization is easy to do. Simply revoke the current criminal laws. The bill would be passed quite quickly. Which would then buy time to figure out a bill for legalization. Why is this important? Despite popular belief, simple possession laws ARE upheld in Canada, but the people charged are d…

Yah, but if you decriminalize possession it's a boon for the (still) illegal dealers and distributors. Is there any credible data to discredit my take on this?

Do you think decriminalizing for possessing a small amount in the interim would still fuel crime?

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#99

Post by goatforce5 » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 1:16 AM UTC

snowwindwaves wrote: post #96

developer2 wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We'll have to see whether grow-at-home will be permitted. Here in Canada it is illegal to operate a spirits distillery in your home. I wouldn't be surprised if it is not legalized, as it opens up avenues for "criminal selling", ie: people growing at home and selling it - bypassing taxation. And, let's be honest, government revenue from taxation is the real reason legalization is even on the table. It doesn't matter h…

Here in British Columbia my friends who smoke prefer going to the dispensaries that have opened over their old local drug dealer. It is more convenient to go to a store with regular hours than to arrange a meeting. They also get to choose exactly which strains they are buying instead of having to take what is available. I think it is going to be very difficult to earn a decent income only selling weed. Edit; there wa…

I was of the understanding that the problem with grow-op houses is they're often riddled with mould and have unsafe electrical modifications:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/12-signs-your-home-was-...

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#100

Post by mbrameld » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 1:18 AM UTC

NeutronBoy wrote: post #89

andrewstuart wrote: post #58

In Australia "the Victorian government, is introducing laws in December to allow families access to medicinal cannabis in exceptional circumstances. " You have to be genuinely, deeply sick in Australia to be allowed to puff a joint. It's like living in the 1950's. So strange that Australia follows the world so quickly towards becoming more conservative and is so incredibly slow to become less conservative, even when…

Although it's not legal in Vic, unless you're caught with a substantial amount or dealing then it's not really an issue for casual smokers. Enforcement is generally pretty lax.

Right, unless you happen to be a casual smoker who has the wrong color skin, or hurts a police officer's feelings, or criticizes a government official, etc.