The Federal Government released a report on or about April 21, 17, (421 day) where they announced July 1, 2018 as the decriminalization date for the possession of cannabis and in that report they said they did not support an "LCBO" typed model, with the RCMP recently in very public agreement. This information is recently in the media, today's National Post in particular. The Globe and Mail also has several articles as well. I think that the province has exposed itself to a huge liability. The provincial government doesn't have to sell marijuana with a monopoly in order to discourage use by minors which is the purported goal of this decriminalization. The black market in sales to minors will still thrive as does the illegal cigarette market.
When someone visits the LCBO advice can be given on different alcohols by government staff towards which wine would go with a meal, or which Scotch has a certain flavour etc. but no advice on how to how get intoxicated or levels of intoxication is given. However, the pot purchaser is explicitly seeking drug intoxication and as a result may want information on the subtitles of Indica versus Sativa, alcohol and cannabis combinations, different types of europhia etc. It is unclear how the government workers who will be legal dealers will answer those questions. There will be neophyte law abiding citizens coming in, trying weed for the first time who may have questions. Will these provincial government workers have to be experienced or knowledge in THC levels, interactions with the over the counter medications and herbal remedies? The disclaimers that will have to be posted in the provincial government pot shops will have to be so informative, with so many medical negatives that it would look so asinine, melancholic and hypocritical for any to be the vendor, let alone a government. Private pot shops will not be encumbered by this phenomenon to the same extent. Currently medical schools offers no training in cannabis pharmacology to their students. The shit eating grin on Kathleen Wynne's and Justin Trudeau faces may soon go away when the shit hits the fan. What is the next activity to be legalized and run by the government? My post is based on my interpretation of the media reports and my own intuition.