Cornwall Ontario – Black market Marijuana sellers are shaking their heads at the Province of Ontario’s plans for recreational retail sales of weed.
Demand and ease of availability see prices as low as $50 per ounce for trimmings to only $100 per ounce for high quality BC bud.
Yet the province wants all of retail sales, in a fashion that is doomed to failure, and wants to charge Ontario residents close to $300 per ounce for the privilege.
Marijuana is easy to grow. As a matter of fact many in Ontario already do. The retail dispensary model was wildly popular because consumers could walk into a store; look at different strains and products, and sample them in small quantities with no issue.
But again, this is a province that monopolises alcohol sales too. The difference is that Marijuana is far too easy to produce. It can be grown in home kits now for as little as $20 per ounce.
So why is the province rolling this failure of a plan? Can it really be a cash grab if the public will simply stick to its Black Market sources or grow their own?
The province however will be using police and the justice system like a form of a brutal private army. Politics clearly are ruling this policy.
Unions are happy to be getting thousands of new jobs. As a matter of fact many “Budtenders” won’t be able to work for the province because of charges of those arrested in dispensary raids.
Marijuana costs taxpayers millions of dollars every year. The police and justice system budgets wouldn’t be able to justify their numbers if you simply removed Marijuana crimes. By implementing this new system it seems that arrests will actually increase. Some of the Draconian measure for example, related to Marijuana impaired driving are not equally being targeted to those on other substances like Opioids which is an epidemic that’s killing people.
We already have statistics from US states like Colorado that show little to no impact on accident rates since legalization. This isn’t new ground. There’s lots of case history to review before trying to implement a best practice scenario.
The layers of cost and lack of choice are also corrupt. Licensed producers, many with political connections and law enforcement on their boards or management are being favored over an industry that’s been around for generations. BC and Quebec in particular have their own reputations worldwide when it comes to the cultivation of marijuana and not all of the product is grown indoors where we’ve already seen multiple issues of harmful pesticides being used in the name of profit motives.
At the end of the day it comes down to a Mafia like cash grab by the province.
Frankly the province can’t really afford to sell Marijuana for much less because of the high overheads of licensed producers and the infrastructure being put in place, and sadly that will lead to more black market arrests and people leaving the province to greener pastures that don’t have such brutal marijuana laws, especially in creative fields like filmmaking where provinces like BC compete with Ontario and Quebec for big US production deals.
Today, as I write this piece, there’s a major meeting of Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Yasir Naqvi, Attorney General, law enforcement and public health officials as well as First Nations reps on what’s being termed Ontario’s Cannabis Legalization Enforcement Summit!
Enforcement is an essential piece of Ontario’s approach to the legalization of cannabis, and we are pleased to host such a broad group of partners to identify problems and solutions that will fit communities across the province.
The illegal cannabis market is worth approximately $7 billion a year with significant amounts funnelled to organized crime. We also know that other jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis have seen a spike in drug-impaired driving. That is unacceptable. Our shared goal throughout this summit, and in our ongoing conversations, is to get the information necessary to ensure our police services have the support, tools, and resources they need to keep our roads and communities safe.
We remain committed to working with our partners to ensure that illegal cannabis retail stores, such as dispensaries, are shut down as quickly as possible.
Today, our focus will be on identifying enforcement strategies that are in place, where gaps may exist, collaboration opportunities between governments, the enforcement community and other partners, and determining what support our government can provide in these areas. We are asking our partners to give us their insight and thoughts on enforcement involving drug-impaired driving, possession and public consumption, illegal storefronts, and the illicit market.
Is that some scary Orwellian type of language or what?
Meanwhile in provinces like BC the edibles industry is booming as well as other areas from skin treatments, pet products, and all varieties of Marijuana are being cultivated and creating jobs.
Loading ...Does anyone think Ontario’s plan will work or just create more havoc in people’s lives as more are charged which will impact their careers and ultimately the economy?
What do you think dear CFN viewers? You can post your comments below.