Pot Legalization Brings Changes

Wednesday, 24 October 2018 at 07:57

The provincial government has made changes to include marijuana in the new Smoke Free Act.

OXFORD COUNTY - Changes have been made to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, replacing both the former Smoke-Free Ontario Act and the Electronic Cigarettes Act.

In addition to the protection the previous legislation offered, the new SFOA 2017 will regulate sale, supply, display, promotion, and use of tobacco, vapour products, and now cannabis.

Tobacco Control Coordinator with Southwestern Public Health Gemma Urbani says that it now covers where you can and cannot smoke cannabis, with certain expectations depending on the city.

"So, the easiest way to think about it is anywhere where you can't smoke, you can't vape or smoke cannabis. So those were things that we already had in place in the province of Ontario, such as 20m from playgrounds and sports fields, from bar and restaurant patios, hospital grounds, and schools. The province has gone above and beyond those regulations and included 9m from the perimeter of any bar and restaurant patio, 20m from the perimeter of any sort of recreational facility, and 20m from the perimeter of any school property."

Urbani says while cannabis is viewed under the same lens as tobacco and vapour products in the eyes of the federal and provincial governments, municipalities may or may not put additional regulations as per their own decision.

"The focus is really on places where children tend to congregate. So around schools, recreational centres, playgrounds, sports fields, that sort of thing. But walking down the street in public, you can smoke tobacco there, you can vape there, and technically, you can smoke cannabis there. that's not to say that municipalities won't increase the protection within their by-laws and prohibit some of these things."

Southwestern Public Health Tobacco Enforcement Officers are designated to enforce these regulations within the community.

Individuals with questions related to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 can contact Southwestern Public Health at 1-800-922-0096.