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EDMONTON — The advocacy group Mothers Against Drunk Driving wants Alberta to sell marijuana through government-run stores — at least in the short term — to ensure public safety before profit.

Andrew Murie, the CEO of MADD, points to marijuana stores in the United States that slash prices to mark the annual April 20 counter-culture celebration of public cannabis consumption.

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“There are a lot of people that want to make a lot of money on this legalization, a lot of entrepreneurs, and they’re not interested in public safety,” Murie said in an interview Thursday.

“I think governments, especially the provincial government, (need to) stand up and say, ‘Look we will proceed with caution, and we will make sure that we’re not losing a lot of young people, which is the greatest risk.”‘

MADD and other groups are weighing in on Alberta’s plans to regulate and enforce the legalization of recreational use of marijuana starting July 1.