A brief look at provincial approaches to recreational marijuana sales
British Columbia and Manitoba are the latest provinces to outline their plans for the sale of marijuana with legalization looming July 1. Here is a glance at provincial and territorial plans to date.
— Alberta plans to control the online sale of pot, but will leave over-the-counter sales to private operators. Details on how sales would work have yet to be determined. Private pot stores would have to be physically separate from stores that sell alcohol, tobacco or pharmaceuticals, but how that would be legally defined is also undetermined. Stores would not be allowed to sell anything but cannabis and cannabis-related products.
— British Columbia has set the age of consumption at 19, with retail sales allowed through both public and private stores. Retailers will have to get their supply of cannabis from the government’s wholesale distribution system used for alcohol.
— Manitoba also plans to set its legal age at 19, a year later than the legal age for drinking alcohol. The government’s legislation would also prohibit people from growing cannabis at home for recreational purposes. Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries would regulate the sale of cannabis and municipal governments would have the option to ban sales by referendum.