Highlights from the federal marijuana task force report

The task force Justin Trudeau's Liberal government appointed to study how marijuana could be legalized and regulated in Canada released its report Tuesday, offering over 80 recommendations. Here are the highlights.

Panel makes over 80 recommendations to advise Liberal government in its legalization push

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The task force Justin Trudeau's Liberal government appointed to study how marijuana could be legalized and regulated in Canada released its report Tuesday, offering over 80 recommendations.

• Pot task force recommends legal cannabis sales be limited to users 18 and over

Here are some highlights from the report:

Sales and marketing

• Set the minimum age of purchase as 18, respecting the rights of provinces and territories to harmonize with sales of alcohol.
• Avoid selling alcohol and cannabis at the same location where possible: dedicated storefronts and direct mail are preferable.
• Limit the density and location of storefronts, including their proximity to schools and parks.
• Regulate retail sales at the provincial and territorial level.
• Restrict the promotion and advertising of cannabis products, similar to restrictions now in place for tobacco.
• Require plain packaging with company name, strain name, price, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) amounts and health warnings.
• Prohibit any product deemed "appealing to children," including products that look like candy.

Taxation

• Establish pricing and taxation following an economic analysis.
• Tax higher potency THC products at a higher rate to discourage purchase.
• Use revenue from cannabis regulation for drug prevention, education and treatment.​

McLellan says time to legalize pot is now

Anne McLellan, the Chair of the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation, has completed her study and says now is the time to move forward with legalization.

Public consumption and possession

• Extend restrictions on public smoking of tobacco products and vaping to cannabis.
• Allow and regulate dedicated places to consume cannabis products (lounges, for example.)
• Limit public possession to 30 grams of dried, non-medical cannabis or its equivalent, with a corresponding sales limit.

Production and distribution

• Implement a system of licensed producers to grow cannabis in Canada.
• Allow personal cultivation of up to four plants per residence, with a height limit of 100 cm.
• Maintain medical marijuana access separately, with the same tax system as non-medical use.
• Move swiftly to create capacity for producing and selling cannabis.

Public education and safety

• Begin public education strategy immediately.
• Determine how to establish limits to prevent an increase in cannabis-impaired driving.

With files from Catherine Cullen