Article by Elizabeth Cameron, Metro News
Albertans have a lot to say about legalizing cannabis outside medical purposes, judging by the number of people who shared their thoughts with the province in a recent survey.
Just over 45,000 Albertans took the online questionnaire about how the province should approach legalization, according to the Justice and Solicitor General’s office.
The survey, which sought feedback on people’s priorities – road safety, eliminating the black market or keeping pot away from minors, for example – closed July 31.
The federal government wants to make recreational cannabis legal by July 2018, but many key decisions have to be made by provinces – such as where and how the drug can be sold or how products should be taxed.
The Notley government previously called the federal government’s timeline ambitious but also said it will do its best to regulate provincial jurisdiction by Ottawa’s deadline.
A provincial pot framework, based on feedback from the survey as well as more than 100 organizations who have met with or submitted written responses to the government, will be released in the fall.