Standalone, government stores considered for P.E.I. marijuana sales

Premier Wade MacLauchlan says the province is considering standalone stores as its method for dealing with the sale of marijuana.

"There seems to be a position emerging, if you look at the other provinces, that it should be public, [for] reasons we can likely understand, and that it should be sold apart from where alcohol is available," said MacLauchlan.

The federal government has said it will legalize pot by July 2018, and the provinces will have to come up with rules for its sales by then.

New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador are recommending a minimum age of 19 for buyers, and MacLauchlan said those provinces are also looking at selling cannabis in stores operated by government, but not in the same place alcohol is for sale.

Join the discussion

The province is inviting Islanders to take part in the discussion around cannabis sales.

There is an online survey or you can drop written comments into any Access PEI office.

MacLauchlan said new legislation will be introduced in the spring to meet the July deadline.

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