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Edible marijuana at centre of Vancouver’s pot debate

http://metronews.ca/news/vancouver/1394857/edible-marijuana-at-centre-of-vancouvers-pot-debate/

Jennifer Gauthier/Metro Isaac Oommen, communications coordinator for the BC Compassion Club holds a variety of edibles such as cookies, muffins and lollipops.
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Thursday that medical marijuana users have the constitutional right to use edible cannabis products, but the city isn’t budging on its plan to ban pot brownies and candies from Vancouver dispensaries.

The city issued a statement Thursday acknowledging the court’s decision, yet reaffirming the stance of city manager Dr. Penny Ballem and Vancouver Coastal Health medical health officer Dr. Patricia Daly that edibles should be banned from marijuana-related retailers.

“Edible products are being sold in the form of candies and baked goods, which appeal to children,” according to the statement. “Evidence in the U.S. is that wider availability of these products is causing increased poisonings in children, and we want to prevent this from occurring here in Vancouver.”

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Edible marijuana products were at the centre of debate at a public hearing on whether Vancouver should create regulations for the 94 pot shops that operate outside the law within city limits.


While all but one of the first 17 out of more than 160 speakers were all for regulating the dispensaries, almost all agreed that they should be allowed to sell edible products for patients who can’t smoke or don’t have the ability to bake on their own.

Lawyer Kirk Tousaw, who won the Supreme Court case, urged city councillors at the public hearing late Wednesday night to consider patients before committing to the ban on edibles. “We know and we heard prohibition causes harm,” he said.

Brina Levitt, who makes edible marijuana products and uses them to ease pain, argued the edible ban hurts people who are too sick to bake or make their own products or who want their medication to last longer, comparing it to cough medicine.

“Doesn’t an eight hour cough medicine sound better than one that lasts one to three hours?” she asked.

Coun. Geoff Meggs, however, was reluctant to buy into the commentary that edibles are safe. He noted that Vancouver Coastal Health has been an advocate for very liberal programs including supervised injection sites.

“Those who say to me, ‘Just never mind Coastal Health they’re wrong,’ they’re not compelling to me,” Meggs said.

The public hearing continued Thursday.