Opposition parties dislike Ontario’s plans for legal pot, but haven’t offered alternatives

It’s been well over a month since Ontario’s Liberal government unveiled plans to regulate the distribution and consumption of recreational cannabis once it becomes legal by next summer. While the province’s main opposition parties have been quick to condemn the proposal as half-baked and inadequate, they still haven’t offered alternatives.

Both the Progressive Conservatives and the NDP told VICE News they have no plans yet to take on the marijuana issue in their campaigns ahead of the provincial election next year.

A lack of organized pushback against the Liberal proposal is leaving experts puzzled, and throws cold water on hopes held by many dispensary owners that opposition leaders will champion their calls to be included in the future market.

The Liberal plan would, in short, give the provincial liquor control board power over new standalone cannabis storefronts and restrict consumption of the drug to private residences. Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General has vowed to wipe out hundreds of illegal dispensaries operating across the province in the meantime — although it hasn’t yet explained how. A formal bill on the matter is expected to be tabled in the Ontario legislature in the coming months.

As Canada’s most populous province, regulations in Ontario could influence decisions nationwide for how the marijuana supply is managed and distributed.

NDP and PC leaders both slammed the Liberal regulation proposal announcement as an attempt by the government to distract the public from various scandals including ongoing bribery trials and alleged wrongdoing surrounding the controversial cancellation of two gas plants. Neither opposition party, however, offered other models for distributing legal cannabis, when asked by VICE News.

Analysts are surprised by the opposition’s lack of concrete criticisms of the Liberal plan.

“I haven’t heard or seen much from either the NDP or the Conservatives … Why are they so radio silent about this?” said University of Windsor law professor Bill Bogart, who specializes in policies that regulate illicit drugs. “When [the] opposition kind of grumbles, but doesn’t put forward an alternative, they’re basically going along with it.”

Randy Hillier is the Attorney General critic for the PC Party — the official opposition — and said he has major problems with the plan, which he described as “bush league.” However, he said he isn’t prepared to provide specific criticisms of the LCBO model or to offer alternative distribution models until the plan is officially laid out in a proposed bill.

“I will comment on the legislation when it’s tabled. But we have seen far too many examples of this government saying one thing, and doing something entirely different when it comes to legislation,” Hiller told VICE News. “I think it would be a real travesty for people to engage in a conversation of a hypothetical with this government.”

When asked whether he’s satisfied with the ways the LCBO oversees alcohol sales in the province, and whether he could extrapolate an opinion on it controlling cannabis sales in the future, Hillier provided few details.

“I don’t think anybody would state that the LCBO is the only model or let alone the most effective model for distribution of alcohol,” he said, noting that other provinces have different rules for selling alcohol but without saying which model he would prefer for Ontario. Hillier’s major concerns with the pot plan in its current form include a lack of evidence on the forecasted demand for cannabis, the forecasted revenues, and the costs of it.

Bogart, the law professor, said the PCs would be more effective in making their criticisms of the Liberal marijuana plan before the law is officially introduced.

“If the opposition waits until the legislation is on the table, particularly when there’s a majority government, it’s too late. They may get modifications around details, but the model is going to prevail,” he said.

As a left-leaning party, the NDP supports the proposed LCBO-run model. That’s not surprising as the party has close union ties and the union representing liquor store workers would see its membership and power expand with the LCBO gaining exclusive cannabis distribution rights.

NDP Attorney General Critic Gilles Bisson has, however, criticized other elements of the Liberal’s retail strategy. Rural parts of the province might not have enough adequate access to legal marijuana under the government plan that includes only 150 stores by 2020, Bisson said, without providing an estimate on how many retail outlets his party wants to see.

“I think the government tried to hurry a response and hasn’t worked out the details,” Bisson told VICE News.

He also wonders what the government will do to address “the issue of intoxication,” the legal limits for driving, and where one can smoke. (The Liberal plan states that recreational cannabis consumption must be confined to private homes.)

“There’s holes in it, nobody is talking about how to fill those holes,” said Bisson.

It appears that only the Ontario Green Party — which doesn’t hold any seats in the legislature — has launched a targeted campaign attempting to convince the Liberals to change their approach. The Party is urging the government to regulate dispensaries instead of pushing them further underground, something it says would fuel the black market.

Last week, Green Party leader Mike Schreiner sent an open letter to the Liberals urging them to reconsider the plan. The party also launched a petition against the LCBO model which they say has garnered more than 5,100 signatures.

“I recently cycled along one Toronto block that has three dispensaries alone,” Green Party leader Mike Schreiner wrote in his letter. “There are 651 LCBO outlets and 451 Beer Stores in Ontario. Your government is expanding alcohol sales to 450 grocery stores. Something tells me that a website and 40 to 150 stores will not satisfy existing demand for cannabis.”

In an email to VICE News, Schreiner called on PC leader Patrick Brown in particular to advocate for the inclusion of dispensaries, which he refers to as “local businesses.”

The right-of-centre Trillium Party, which has one seat at the legislature, did not respond to a request for comment on their legal pot position.