Anyone 19 years old and up will be able to buy recreational marijuana in B.C. once it91裸聊视频檚 legalized next July.

The province has announced it would set the legal minimum age at 19, in line with alcohol and tobacco.

91裸聊视频淲e know the largest consumers of cannabis are young people in that 19- to 30-year-old age range,91裸聊视频� said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth. 91裸聊视频淚f you set [the age] to high, at say 25, you91裸聊视频檙e not going to be able to get rid of that black market.91裸聊视频�

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Also like alcohol, wholesale distribution of recreational pot will be handled by the BC Liquor Distribution Branch.

The drug will also be sold by both public and private retailers, although Farnworth said the government hadn91裸聊视频檛 yet decided whether or not they would place marijuana on the same shelf as booze.

91裸聊视频淓very other province is going through a provincial system,91裸聊视频� he said, 91裸聊视频渁nd it allows us a significant control, which the public has said is important.91裸聊视频�

Farnworth did not go further into taxation, zoning, local government input or what exactly the retail model will look, saying those details will come early next year.

The province is 91裸聊视频渁cutely91裸聊视频� aware, he added, that a too-high price won91裸聊视频檛 be able to knock out the black market.

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He did express optimism that the federal government had 91裸聊视频渂acked off91裸聊视频� its 50-50 taxation split, but said B.C. was not relying on revenue from taxation yet, citing startup costs and indecision from Ottawa.

Tuesday91裸聊视频檚 announcement comes after several weeks of public consultation that collected input from nearly 50,000 British Columbians, as well as submissions from 141 local and Indigenous governments.

Troy, the manager of Vancouver91裸聊视频檚 Lime Life Society who did not want his last name published, said the proposed regulations are overbearing for an industry that he says has done fine on its own.

91裸聊视频淭he plan to sell it in liquor stores is completely unfeasible and unreasonable,91裸聊视频� he told Black Press. 91裸聊视频淯nfortunately, it91裸聊视频檚 people making decisions about products and services they don91裸聊视频檛 know much about, or aren91裸聊视频檛 educated on.

91裸聊视频淗opefully, anything they do will be challenged with Charter of Rights and Freedoms challenge.91裸聊视频�

The federal bill to legalize and regulate marijuana, introduced in early 2017, in the House of Commons last week.

It now moves to the Senate, where it is likely to face heavy opposition from Conservatives who argue legalization should be delayed because the process is being rushed.

: Province to set age for recreational marijuana use at 19, go with a wholesale distribution model and have private and public retail outlets. More details to come in 2018

91裸聊视频� Kat Slepian (@katslepian)