Public Health and Safety
Addictions treatment. Witnesses spoke of their desire for local clinical and on-the-land options for addictions treatment and aftercare, including programs for those living in small communities. Mr. Tim Harris also spoke of the value of the Substance Abuse Management program designed for use in our criminal justice system. Many witnesses were concerned that the GNWT will implement cannabis legalization without parallel plans to strengthen treatment options. Witnesses also spoke of the impact of isolation and shame on addictions and on the decision to pursue treatment, suggesting that public perception of cannabis and cannabis use will continue to evolve after legalization.
The Standing Committee on Social Development recently completed an in-depth examination of addiction treatment options described in Committee Report 4-18(3), Report on Adult Residential Addictions Treatment Facilities Tour 2017. In this report, the committee recommended that the Department of Health and Social Services enhance public communications on addictions treatment, enhance community-based aftercare services, and develop a pilot program to ensure that Northerners completing residential treatment placements are not discharged into homelessness. We await the GNWT's formal response to these recommendations.
Alcohol and Drugs in our Communities
Many witnesses spoke of alcohol's devastating impacts on our communities and on our Indigenous peoples, often comparing cannabis to alcohol. Some were concerned that cannabis would have severe and negative effects, as alcohol has. At the Hay River Reserve, Elder Pat Martel spoke through a translator:
"Sometimes, we talk about things or experiences of how it used to be, years ago, things that we know. Anybody talk about when you're drinking alcohol, I've been there. Today, sometimes people say, 'What do you know about what drugs can do to people?' I've seen what drugs can do to people... [I want to] have somebody come to us here and tell us how it's going to work, how you can buy, sell, grow. I need to know those things before I can sit here and say, 'It's okay' [or] tell my granddaughters they can smoke all they want. I'm not here for that; I'm here to protect them, not only from marijuana, but from drinking. I need you to think about those things and tell the government we asked for help."
Other witnesses asserted an opposing perspective. Also at the Hay River Reserve, Mr. Jeff Norn told us, "I have never seen anyone overdose on pot, [but] I have seen people in hospital, lives, families, communities destroyed with alcohol."
We have considered the views submitted to us and our own research. Although we recognize that cannabis and alcohol are distinct substances with different physiological and social impacts, we also recognize Northerners' concerns. We know that cannabis use is not without risk, particularly for youth and in use of high-potency products such as distilled cannabis resin (also called "shatter"), currently available illegally. In a written submission, the Registered Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut ("the nurses' association") recommended that "it would be proactive to get ahead of the curve" in preparing for the regulation of high-potency products, including edibles. Similarly, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Public Health Association ("the public health association") recommended that high-potency products be subject to higher taxation.
Although cannabis and alcohol are not the same, Northerners spoke strongly in our public hearings of alcohol's toll on their communities and their strong desire to protect their families. Widespread cannabis use by minors and children as young as 12 years old was a grave concern expressed in many communities. Witnesses' proposals for improved public education and engagement, as well as community-led harm-reduction initiatives, further speak to their focus on public health and safety.
Recommendations 1 and 2 address these matters.
Co-location of Cannabis and Alcohol
We must also address the co-location of cannabis and alcohol sales, as proposed in the GNWT's retail model. Witnesses repeatedly echoed the federal Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation ("the task force"), which recommended "no co-location of alcohol or tobacco and cannabis sales, wherever possible, [and that] when co-location cannot be avoided, appropriate safeguards must be put in place."
Our research shows that in developing its retail model, the GNWT has broken with national trends: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador will not allow cannabis to be sold alongside alcohol. Further, in its written submission, the Canadian Cancer Society recommended against co-location to discourage "poly-substance use," or the co-occurring use of cannabis, alcohol, and/or tobacco. This is consistent with what we heard in our public hearings, where witnesses were concerned about the creation of "one-stop shops" for bootleggers and the temptation to purchase alcohol in addition to cannabis. In Lutselk'e, Ms. Florence Catholique said, "I do totally disagree with having the cannabis sold to us at the liquor store. I don't see the prohibition act as a remedy, but allowing them to go to the liquor store to buy the cannabis... It's also very tempting to buy a bottle." As discussed, many witnesses also opposed the GNWT's proposed liquor store retail model for economic reasons.
Motion 4 addressed this matter.
Enforcement Capacity and Community Resources
Bill 6 proposed two streams for territorial enforcement of cannabis laws: Enforcement of laws on possession, production, and sale under the Cannabis Products Act; and enforcement of laws on public smoking under the Cannabis Smoking Control Act. This is in addition to RCMP enforcement of federal laws. However, many witnesses told us that enforcement responsibilities had not been clearly defined.
Limited enforcement resources were also a prominent concern in public hearings, both with respect to new cannabis-specific laws and more generally. Residents were skeptical of the GNWT's ability to enforce new laws in addition to the already challenging workloads. Community leaders from north to south stressed that they lack resources to enforce provisions of the cannabis legislation or bylaws that might flow from it in the future. We also heard recommendations for additional highway patrols, new RCMP positions, and new RCMP detachments. In Tsiigehtchic, Ms. Grace Blake summarized the issue: "We can have all the laws you want, but the problem is enforcing them."
Again, witnesses identified bootlegging as a major debilitating problem. Both bootlegging and the so-called online "grey market" are enforcement challenges impacting and impacted by the territory's cannabis retail model. We heard concerns that current drug dealers and/or alcohol bootleggers will incorporate cannabis bootlegging into their repertoire; that current cannabis dealers will transition to dealing harder drugs; and that the proposed retail model, coupled with limited enforcement resources, risks creating new bootleggers altogether.
In Fort Providence, Mr. Jim Thom warned that the GNWT risked substantial lost revenue if online grey market sales were not addressed, and, in Tuktoyaktuk, Ms. Marie Pokiak said, "I'm really tired of bootleggers making a living off it... We need an outlet for the sale of cannabis. Otherwise, we are creating more opportunity for illegal trade." These concerns were echoed in many other communities, often coupled with concerns about illegal sales to underage young people. Former Premier Nellie Cournoyea described illicit drug-dealing as a hidden, "ghostly" crime that causes great harm, even death, but most of the time, "no one will go to jail, no one will go to court." Recommendation 4 addresses these concerns.
I would now like to hand the report over to the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.