HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2017-03-22, Page 88 Huron Expositor • Wednesday. March 22, 2017
Huron County Health Unit gearing up for Trudeau's promise of marijuana
Shaun Gregory
Huron Expositor
The I luron County I lealth Unit
wants to be ready for the legaliza-
tion of marijuana.
Laura Edgar, public health pro-
moter for the health unit, pre-
sented information at a Huron
County Board of Health meeting
March 9 that she and her associates
gathered from being involved with
the Ontario Public Health Unit Col-
laboration on Cannabis.
The group, with members from
about 27 public health units,
looked at health concerns and how
to reduce harm if legalization does
move forward. They endorse things
like restrictions on advertising and
called for labelling levels of THC,
which is the psychoactive com-
pound in marijuana.
"Legal does not mean safe,"
Edgar said in a phone interview
March 15.
"Cannabis is a drug, alcohol is a
drug, tobacco is a drug, they all
have harms," she said, and the role
of public heath is to reduce such
harms.
Edgar said she supports strict
regulations associated with mari-
juana to ensure the region's safety.
Marijuana is still a schedule II
substance under the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act and
unless used for medicinal pur-
poses, possessing and selling can-
nabis is against the law. People still
indulge in marijuana even though
they kntow it's not legal, so at this
time, Edgar is not sure how much
the legalization of marijuana for
recreational use will affect the area.
"Cannabis is being used in
Huron County right now, it will
continue to be used, so in a lot of
ways it's hard to say what impact it
will have," she said.
Edgar added that the health unit
wanted to make it clear that they
do not promote marijuana.
Ben Lobb, MP for I luron-Bruce,
is against legalizing marijuana. He
said there are issues that must be
addressed, before passing a bill for
marijuana to be legally used
recreationally.
A big concern he's heard about
around the House of Commons
involves employers, Lobb stated in
a recent interview.
Employers want the government to
research what are acceptable levels of
THC while on the job, or even if it's
professional and safe to be working
under the influence of marijuana.
"If you go out to lunch and have
a marijuana brownie or a joint, can
you go back to work?" Lobb ques-
tioned March 16. "Especially if
you're operating heavy machinery
or a truck driver or whatever.
Postmedia file photo
Huron County Health Unit says if marijuana does become legal in Canada that they hope the government is following
certain precautions. They discussed this matter at a Huron County Board of Health meeting March 9.
"These are all considerations that
the government is going to have to
look at:'
The Government of Canada says
it is creating a system of
production, distribution and sales
rules in order to:
* Better protect health and enhance
public safety by regulating access to
cannabis for non-medical purpose&
* Make it less profitable for illicit
drug dealers and organized crime
groups to stay in the marijuana
business.
* Keep it out of the hands of youth
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