Ex-Toronto Police Chief, Current Liberal MP Bill Blair Talks Pot in Barrie

Article by Chris Simon, Barrie Advance via Simcoe.com

The federal government is still targeting a spring 2017 date for the introduction of legislation geared toward marijuana law reform, Liberal MP Bill Blair told Simcoe.com Wednesday.

Blair, a former Toronto Police chief and the current parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, participated in a roundtable discussion with local dignitaries, police officers, health officials and faith leaders in Barrie March 15. He is currently touring the country to discuss the legalization and regulation of cannabis, and found Wednesday’s discussion insightful.

He says there’s a common narrative across the country — residents want the government to do a better job of protecting children and making communities safe.

“We shouldn’t be leaving this up to organized crime,” he said. “We need to do a better job of protecting the health of our citizens. We’re committed to doing it right. We want evidence-based policy.”

While there’s buzz around the proposed legislation, it’s also caused some blow-back at times.

Blair says there are many misconceptions circulating regarding to government plan. The feds aim to better control access to weed and put in place appropriate safeguards for its production and sale. Through strict regulation of production, distribution and consumption, they can take money away from organized crime.

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