Pallister urges Ottawa to slow down on legalized pot

Premier Brian Pallistersays the federal government has to be careful with the health and safety of Canadians when it comes to legalizing pot,and he wants Ottawa to slow down.

Pallister describes legalization as one of the most complicated policy issues facing governments,listing a seriesof concerns he has about the coming changes.

"This is a challenge every province is going to face," Pallister said. He cited rules around access, quality oversight and distribution, age of accessanddriving under the influence of marijuana as some of the challenges facing legislators.

Pallister saideverything from regulations on edible marijuana products to streamlining rules between jurisdictions is on the table.

A report by former Deputy Prime Minister AnneMcLellanhas been completed, though its results have not yet been made public.Pallistersaid he hopes it will answer some of hisconcerns.

• 8 burning questions about the coming federal pot report

The Manitoba premier said he agrees with Ottawathat something must be done to wrest the cultivation and sale of marijuana from organized crimeand see it delivered safely to consumers. But he said becauselegalization has so many implications,it has to be done with thought and planning.

"It's got a myriad number of components to it, and rushing ahead with it and then figuring it out based on the mistakes you made is hardly the right approach to take," Pallister said.

'Acting in relativeuncertainty'

Pallisterhas no problem delaying federal regulations on legalized weed until all the issues are solved, and says people who want to smoke pot are already smoking it.

"Pot is available to people who want it now," Pallister said, noting the statistics he's seen from U.S. states where marijuana is legal show littleincrease in consumption when it's no longer a crime to smoke.

The premier confirmed Manitoba is moving forward in some areas on legalization, including interdepartmental discussions and engaging some expert analysis. The previous NDP government had started a cautious look into howother jurisdictions were dealing with the sale of the marijuana.

• Marijuana sales in Colorado provide possible Manitoba model, official says

Pallister said not knowing where Ottawa is on the issue has created avacuum.

"We are acting in relativeuncertainty and relative isolation on this point," he said.

He is urging the federal government to partner with the provinces and territories on the development of these issues.

But Pallister, who's been sharpening his rhetoric with the federal Liberal government recently, said he hasn't seen a spirit of teamwork coming from Ottawa lately. He points to growingfriction with the federal government on health care transfer payments as an example where the two levels of government aren't on the same page.