Ottawa’s top doctor is supporting the Ontario Government’s proposed framework for the regulation of recreational cannabis use.
The Liberal Government announced last Friday how it will deal with the legalization of marijuana next summer.
In a report for the Board of Health, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Isra Levy says an initial review of the proposed framework indicates that the Ontario Government’s plan aligns with many of Ottawa Public Health’s recommendations. Levy says those include restrictions on where cannabis can be used, raising the minimum legal age above the federal recommendation, and having a government controlled distribution system.
The Ontario Government announced the LCBO will operate up to 150 stores dedicated to selling marijuana . Residents 19 or older will be able to purchase marijuana at retail outlets or through a website run by the LCBO.
Users will not be allowed to use marijuana in public spaces or workplaces and should be confined to private residents. The Ontario Government will explore the possibility of allowing marijuana-licensed establishments in the future.
Levy says Ottawa Public Health will conduct a more fulsome analysis of the Ontario Government’s framework and present it to the Board of Health in the future.
