Marijuana recommendations a good start, says Whitehorse proponent

Recommendations made by a federal task force on legalizing marijuana are a good start, saysMike Dobson, a Whitehorse medical marijuana user who had looked into opening a dispensary in the city.

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"It would take a load off a lot of people's minds, so they wouldn't have to worry about becoming a criminal while just enjoying a joint," Dobsonsaid.

Dobson agrees that legal use should begin at 18 or 19 years of age, if the government wants to eliminate the participation of organized crime from the marijuana business.

"You can't knock it all out, but it will go a huge, long way in knocking out most of the illicit trade," Dobson said.

The Canadian Medical Association wantslegal use to begin at 21 years, with restrictions until age 25, because of the potential affects on brain development in young people. The task force believed eliminating the criminal element is important.

Legal pot will be better quality, Dobson says

Dobson's also happy with a recommendation that medical marijuana and recreational marijuana have separate sets of regulations, and that medical potbe tax-free.

He receives his marijuana through a government-approved dealer, but says the quality is not good. He believes legalization and more competition will encourage producers to improve quality.

Recommendations to require testing will eliminate the risk of deadly synthetic drugs like fentanyl being added to pot, he said.

"It'd be testing it not only for content, but moulds, any contaminants at all," said Dobson.

The federal government is aimingto introduce marijuana legislation in the spring, but Dobsoncautions it will be much longer before it's sold in shops. Regulations have to be developed at the federal and provincial levels and bureaucracies set up to implement them, he said.

Dobson said he may take another look at opening a dispensary in Yukon if and when it becomes legal. He said when he tried in the past, it became obvious the city and the police would not let it happen.

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