Doug Ford wants free market for cannabis in Ontario

[Murphy]

I rarely believe any election promises made until I see them. I understand why Ford wants to reduce government interference in our daily lives. It's easy to say, but it's harder to stop.

The idea of helping low income people is nice to read, but governments have to mine the taxpayer for cash. I have no issue with the cannabis legislation. I just hope that if Ford is elected, that he will dismantle the agencies Wynne created to advertise, sell and collect money from sales.

This link has Q&A put to Ford by the Ottawa morning show.
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Doug Ford wants free market for cannabis in Ontario
'I'm open to a free [cannabis] market and I'm going to consult with our caucus,' Ford says
- CBC News

Newly elected Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford says he'll cut taxes and repeal Ontario's sex education curriculum, and is open to a hands-off approach to cannabis once it's legalized.

"I don't believe in the government sticking their hands in our lives all the time. I believe in letting the market dictate," he told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning on Tuesday.

The former city councillor won the PC leadership race Saturday following a tumultuous convention sparked by the resignation of Patrick Brown, who left the party earlier this year amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Brown entered the race briefly before bowing out.

In his first week of campaigning, Ford promised to repeal Ontario's sex-ed curriculum, cut the carbon tax and end provincial taxes for people making $30,000 or less a year.

The rest here.

Doug Ford wants free market for cannabis in Ontario - Ottawa - CBC News
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Doug Ford says that there is no need to sell cannabis at a brick and mortar, provincial government run stores similar to the LCBO. But the OPSEU union president called Ford's suggestion "stupid". I can understand Smokey Thomases (the union prez) reaction. If there are no cannabis stores, there won't be any union jobs.

I agree with Ford on this one. Let private business sell cannabis and alcohol. You can still have Ontario government inspectors check things out. Much like they presently do with cigarette sales.
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excerpt --

The current Liberal plan to sell recreational cannabis is to establish government-run brick-and-mortar and online stores, in a fashion similar to the LCBO. It will be called the Ontario Cannabis Store.

It’s a model that Ontario Public Service Employees’ Union president Warren “Smokey” Thomas believes is the correct one.
Thomas was on CFRA’s News and Views with Rob Snow Tuesday, before Ford's interview, and had a blunt response when asked about Ford’s suggestion to other media that cannabis sales should be given over to the private sector.

“That’s stupid,” Thomas says. “Every expert in the field of addictions, harm reduction, public safety has come around to believe that Kathleen Wynne got it right. I look forward to the opportunity to convince [Ford] otherwise.”

The rest here.

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ford-sugg...ector-will-scrap-people-s-guarantee-1.3841455

 

[Murphy]

Here's what the other OCSs think of the Ontario Cannabis Store — their new acronym mate

https://mp3.cbc.ca/radio/CBC_Radio_VMS/474/387/dave-CMne7w01-20180313.mp3

'I'm not too happy about it but I don't think there's a whole lot I could probably do,' says business owner
Haydn Watters · CBC News

There's been much bickering about how bland and boring the logo is for the recently announced Ontario Cannabis Store, called the OCS for short.

But a handful of Ontario businesses, organizations and schools are facing a far more complex problem — they now share an acronym with the new shops that will sell pot provincially once it's legalized.

From crane salesmen to Christian schools, here's what fellow OSC-ers think about their new acronym mate.

 

[taxslave]

Figures the government unions would be lining up matter what the trough.

 

[White_Unifier]

I agree with leaving cannabis to the free market except for four things:

1. Tax it high.

2. Place strict age limits.

3. Strictly regulate its marketing.

4. Impose strict criminal sanctions with expensive fines or incarceration (depending on the specific offense) for any violation.

Regulate it but yes, I agree: keep it in the private sector.

 

[taxslave]

WHy not just let everyone grow their own?

 

[White_Unifier]

WHy not just let everyone grow their own?

I actually could accept that as long as the private grower does not market it in any way. In other words, keep out of other people's sight so they don't know you're growing it and grow it for your own personal use.

That could actually be a good thing to a degree. Unfortunately, it does mean lost government revenue to deal with the health problems associated with its consumption. But it also means that commercial sellers would make less money and so those shops become less numerous. That in turn makes the drug harder to access for those who are trying to quit it.

 

[WLDB]

I’m all for that.

 

[Walter]

If it’s run by the gubmint they will find a way to lose money.

 

[Murphy]

That generally seems to be the way.

I posted it here somewhere, but Wynne had devised three layers of cannabis management and two agencies. It seems the union wouldn't want private business to run it. I am genuinely surprised that the provincial govt wants to manage it.

It would be fiscally prudent to have someone else incur the costs of maintaining storefronts, paying employees, and paying for advertising, storing and ordering stock, etc. The government outsourced services like driver's licenses, testing, etc. They sit back with virtually no overhead and collect a cut. A few paid inspectors to make sure SERCO is properly conducting business and it's golden.

The same business model would work for cannabis.

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The Cannabis Store unveils itself

The LCBO has unveiled the brand identity for the agency that will sell recreational cannabis in Ontario: the Ontario Cannabis Store.

According to a post on the LCBO’s public information website, the name and branding were designed “to convey a safe, simple and approachable environment for consumers, and agency employees, in a clear and easily understood manner.”

In a follow-up statement, the LCBO said the main factors guiding the development of the branding and logo were “the government priorities of restricting access to youth, protecting public health and addressing the illegal market.”

The statement also said that the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation was working in a unique position: having to develop a recognizable, province-wide brand in a new regulatory environment where many of the marketing rules have not yet been set.
Leo Burnett handled the overall brand strategy and branding guidelines, developing the logo and brand name for Ontario Cannabis Store. Its work also included market research, developing a suite of brand assets and guidelines for marketing and future use of the brand properties.

The LCBO said it expected the cost of all brand and marketing from Leo Burnett to be roughly $650,000. For a comparison on the cost, the LCBO offered its 2014 rebrand (also handled by Leo Burnett and aimed to simplify its logo to make it feel less institutional), for which it paid $500,000.

The unveiling of the branding also reiterated the LCBO’s announcement from last month that it would be working with Shopify, which will provide a cloud-based retail system that will serve both online and in-store sales.

Ontario Cannabis Store unveils itself » strategy

 

[Murphy]

I am sure we'll hear more about this as the election draws closer.

Maybe during a debate.

 

[taxslave]

I actually could accept that as long as the private grower does not market it in any way. In other words, keep out of other people's sight so they don't know you're growing it and grow it for your own personal use.

That could actually be a good thing to a degree. Unfortunately, it does mean lost government revenue to deal with the health problems associated with its consumption. But it also means that commercial sellers would make less money and so those shops become less numerous. That in turn makes the drug harder to access for those who are trying to quit it.

I see it as no different than making beer or wine. And since cannibis is not addictive quitting does not require thousands of high paid government employees.

 

[Curious Cdn]

I see it as no different than making beer or wine. And since cannibis is not addictive quitting does not require thousands of high paid government employees.

Who says it's not addictive? It sure appears to be having forming, at the very least.