Liberals slam Horgan for supporting marijuana sale in liquor stores

Suzanne Anton

THE Liberals on Friday said NDP Leader John Horgan is putting his union friends ahead of public safety.

Speaking to media in Penticton on Thursday, Horgan confirmed his support for selling marijuana in liquor stores saying, “An option to use public liquor stores is a good one.” (Castanet, April 14, 2017). In siding with his union friends, he is rejecting the advice of the federal task force on marijuana legalization, which included his own Vancouver-Fraserview candidate George Chow, said the Liberals.

In all of the U.S. states that have legalized marijuana, there is a ban on selling marijuana and alcohol together.

The Liberals alleged that Horgan rejected all of that expert advice because his union friends in the BCGEU, the primary financial benefactors of selling marijuana in liquor stores, donated $117,400 to the BC NDP last year alone – and he refuses to disclose how much they’ve contributed this year.

They said: “The BC NDP’s Horgan is clearly not on your side as he continues to turn to donors to develop his position on policy, and will be attending an exclusive fundraiser hosted by the marijuana industry on April 18 in Vancouver. The email-only invitation to the marijuana fundraiser offers individuals in the marijuana industry an “unparalleled opportunity” to discuss “what the future holds for the production, sale and distribution of marijuana in British Columbia”.”

“If John Horgan is willing to sell out public safety for $117,400, what else will he be selling out to the highest bidder at his marijuana fundraiser on April 18?” asked Liberal candidate Suzanne Anton.

The Liberals claimed that only they have a plan to keep marijuana out of the hands of minors, keep the profits out of organized crime, and ensure the public is protected.

6 COMMENTS

  1. John Horgan would do well to fall in line with the federal policy on marketing of marijuana which I think has resulted from responsible research and hopefully will protect youth from easy access to the drug during the vital teenage years of brain development.

    He can be a good NDP leader and still bear in mind that a social activist does not necessarily have to cater to every reckless element in society. Responsibility is the key. Otherwise, the human wreckage that will result down the road will just add to the government’s/society’s burden.

    Marijuana probably has application medically but is no more appropriate for recreational use than heroin, whereas morphine from which heroin is derived, is medically the best pain application in medicine.

    Drug abuse is the scourge of our times.

  2. I’m an NDP supporter all my voting life …however marijuana sales need to be done by knowledgeable people who have put in the hard work learning the industry…what the heck does a liquor store know about the product. You wouldn’t go to a vet for heart surgery….

    • Great observation Teal. Cannabis sales should be left to those who know what they’re doing & what they’re talking about.

  3. What the heck does any person you expect to be knowledgeable really know anything about anything? I am 79 years old and cannot believe mankind has actually made it this far without harming himself. There is – or should be, more to life than video games or other forms of entertainment. At least the liquor store has security built into it and chances are pretty good that anybody working there probably knows as much as anyone about cannabis as anyone else! OOpps! Did I just suggest that liquor store workers are “users”? Well — you never know for sure do you?

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