Mixed reaction to recommendations by marijuana task force

CTV Windsor: Reaction to pot recommendations Mixed reaction after a task force outlines recommendations for the legalization of marijuana. Melissa Nakhavoly reports.

It's a big step forward for cannabis users, but proposed recreational marijuana recommendations come with concerns from police.

Eighty recommendations were made by a federal task force looking at the legalization of marijuana.

“It's a great document overall in terms of just access. people are going to nit-pick here or there but at the end of the day it does look like this substance is being legalized,” says Jon Liedtke, owner of of Higher Limits.

The report suggests a minimum age of 18 to purchase pot, there's also pricing-based on potency and a recommendation that suggests cannabis not be sold where alcohol and tobacco already are.

According to Liedke, that's all good news not just for his business, but for the city to profit from as well.

“I believe seeing more cannabis business is the way to do that,” says Liedke. “As we move into the feature you'll start to see it. And cannabis tourism I think will be one of the biggest ones. We've got a great big market right over there on tens of millions of consumers who want to come over a try this new legal substance.”

But with these potential changes, also come challenges for Windsor police.

Chief Al Frederick says there's a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the policing of marijuana, he says his main concern centres around driving under the influence.

"We have no tool to measure someone’s THC," he says.

Frederick tells CTV News right now drug recognition officers perform subjective drug tests which are challenged in the courts and barely utilized.

"We need something like an objective test,” says Frederick. “What are the blood alcohol levels with alcohol. What are the blood level with marijuana so we can say definitively that the person is impaired.”