Calgary THIS WEEKEND AT THE MOVIES
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WEEKEND, JUNE 2-4, 2017
Looking for weedback
Getting
LOUD at the library
LEGALIZATION
Province wants your opinion on marijuana best practices Elizabeth Cameron
For Metro | Calgary
Sam Estinas, Hazel Rodriguez and Joshua Dalida are excited to take out instruments from the Memorial Park Library. HELEN PIKE/METRO
Mandolins filed next to mystery novels metroNEWS
Age of access, distribution and potency will all be under consideration as the province looks for Alberta’s thoughts on pot. The province is set to begin online engagement with Albertans about several important decisions that have to be made in the next year. One of the key considerations: the age at which one should be able to purchase and consume marijuana. The Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) recently published its position — that people shouldn’t be able to purchase recreational cannabis before age 21, with restric-
tions on potency until 25 due to concerns around pot’s effect on brain development. “Now that the (federal) legislation has been tabled, we must place the mental health of Canadians at the forefront of the public policy conversation,” said Dr. Renuka Prasad, president of the CPA, in a statement. There’s a lot of ground to cover before July 2018, when the federal government wants recreational marijuana to be legal. Minister of Justice Kathleen Ganley will outline Friday how Albertans can participate and the questions her government will ask. “We are working hard to meet (the federal government’s) ambitious deadline,” said press secretary Veronica Jubinville. She said the ministry will consider recommendations from the federal government’s task force on legalization, feedback from Albertans and the advice of officials about potential public-health impacts.