The Future of the Cannabis in Vernon Would Appear ........

The future of the cannabis industry in Vernon would appear to be …well… just a little blurry. Our most senior level government has charged ahead with its election promise to decriminalize the use of cannabis in Canada. If you talk to law enforcement, the legal profession and the medical profession, perhaps the federal government’s decision was premature.

There will still be enforcement because there will be regulation, and in large measure the cost of such enforcement will fall to the municipality (read Vernon RCMP). Things still appear a little hazy when it comes to judging when someone is driving under the influence (THC).

Will there be an economic benefit to our community? This too appears unclear with the licensing regulations of the Federal and Provincial Governments. Hopefully there would be a sharing of tax revenue with the municipalities to offset increased enforcement and possible social costs.

On a less murky note, those who suffer from nausea and chronic pain  will no longer have to rely the good will of a friend of a friend's cousin to find the relief they need. This is a good thing.

Finally let’s talk about “the four plants”. As far as I know the legislation still provides the option of growing four plants for personal use. I can’t shake the image of some future bylaw officer prowling around people’s backyards counting plants. Will it be four a season or four continuous? The difficulty of enforcing such laws boggles the mind, perhaps literally.

That being said we soon will be adding legitimacy to a very old and popular psycho-active substance.  The resulting ease of procurement could put many young minds at risk. Great caution needs to be exercised by responsible adults to avoid tragedy.