Next week Kootenay-Columbia MP Wayne Stetski will host a telephone town hall for residents to let him know their views on marijuana legalization.

“The legalization of marijuana will have impacts on health, the economy, law enforcement and for municipalities,” Stetski said. “This is a significant issue for Kootenay-Columbia, and I want to hear what people in the region are thinking as the government moves closer to introducing legislation.”

The telephone town hall will be held on Tuesday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. (Mountain).  Residents with a listed phone number will receive a phone call from an automatic system to invite them to join the call.

In addition to being able to ask questions or offer comments, participants will hear from four area experts, including City of Nelson Mayor Deb Kozak; Tamara Duggan, owner of Tamarack Dispensaries in Kimberley; Dean Nicholson, Executive Director of East Kootenay Addiction Services Society in Cranbrook; and a representative of the RCMP.

The federal government is expected to introduce legislation legalizing marijuana this spring. A recent federal task force on the issue made a number of recommendations, including the establishment of a minimum age of access and restrictions on advertising and promotion; regulated production, manufacturing and distribution; and safeguards, such as testing, packaging and labeling.

Stetski is encouraging anyone interested to read the task force’s recommendations, which can be found here.

“We will have to see whether the government follows its own task force’s recommendations when they introduce the new laws,” Stetski said. “As the person who will be voting on those laws on your behalf, I want to know what you think about the issue.”

Anyone with an unlisted phone number that would like to take part in Town Hall can register at WayneStetski.ndp.ca

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