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Vol. 13, No. 51, Wednesday October 17, 2018 www.LamontLeader.com
Cannabis legal in Canada Adults who are 18 years of age or older would be able legally to: • possess up to 30 grams of legal cannabis, dried or equivalent in nondried form in public. • share up to 30 grams of legal cannabis with other adults. • buy dried or fresh cannabis and cannabis oil from a provinciallylicensed retailer. • in provinces and territories without a regulated retail framework, individuals would be able to purchase cannabis online from federally-licensed producers. • grow, from licensed seed or seedlings, up to 4 cannabis plants per residence for personal use. • make cannabis products, such as food and drinks, at home as long as organic solvents are not used to create
concentrated products. Cannabis edible products and concentrates will be legal for sale approximately one year after the Cannabis Act has come into force on October 17th, 2018. Possession limits for cannabis products The possession limits in the Cannabis Act are based on dried cannabis. Equivalents were developed for other cannabis products to identify what their possession limit would be. One (1) gram of dried cannabis is equal to: • 5 grams of fresh cannabis
• 15 grams of edible product • 70 grams of liquid product • 0.25 grams of concentrates (solid or liquid) • 1 cannabis plant seed This would mean, for example, that an adult 18 years of age or older, can legally possess 150 grams of fresh cannabis. Cannabis for medical purposes The current regime for medical cannabis will continue to allow access to cannabis for people who have the authorization of their healthcare provider.
Protecting youth The Cannabis Act has several measures that help prevent youth from accessing cannabis. These include both age restrictions and restricting promotion of cannabis. Age restrictions No person may sell or provide cannabis to any person under the age of 18. The Act creates 2 new criminal offences, with maximum penalties of 14 years in jail, for: • giving or selling cannabis to youth. • using a youth to commit a cannabis-related offence. For further information including fines and penalties for abuse go to: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/health/campaigns/cannabis/ca nadians.html
Province rejects $1.5 million County disaster funding request JOHN MATHER A disaster funding request from Lamont County to the province to help offset costs from spring flooding has been turned down. Corporate Services Director, Debbie Hackman, told council, Oct 9, a request for an estimated $1.5 million had been turned down. “I applied for an estimated amount,” she said. “Because we still have roads that need to be rebuilt because of the damage caused.” She said the money would have covered costs arising from damages to the roads, culverts and County infrastruc-
ture, the cost of labour and overtime for immediate repairs, and the costs of materials needed to make repairs. She said she had applied for the grant through the disaster recovery program from Alberta Municipal Affairs. She said the granting agency indicated to the County in rejecting the request that flooding wasn’t widespread in nature and that the snowpack and subsequent snow was less than a one in 12-year level. Further, they reported it did not exceed the one in the 50-year return to be considered an extraordinary event.
“I’m not happy about it,” Hackman added, “But it was hard to say if it would be considered or not.” She added the County had applied for disaster funding before. She said funding was granted for the Skaro fire of a couple of years ago and an application was still outstanding for this year’s wildfire in the Bruderheim area. Flooding was widespread across the County last spring with several families being evacuated for a few days north of Chipman. Roads were closed in many areas across from Andrew to the Elk Island Park area and along the boundary between Lamont and
Minburn east of Mundare. With no emergency funding coming for the province, she said, the funds will have to be made up from a contingency fund she set up in the 2018 budget. If that didn’t cover all the costs, then further funds may have to be pulled from reserve funds. She said there would be no impact on the taxpayer. “It would depend on the overall picture at the end of the year, if I have to go into any reserves. I don’t foresee a problem at this point. It’s something that would never lead to any increases in the mill rate.”