It’s not even legal yet, but you can already hear the public distaste for the public consumption of cannabis echoing through the entire country, along with the worry and fear many people have toward what our communities and neighbourhoods would look (and smell like).
From setbacks from playgrounds, smoking inside, smoking outside, possible harms those with addiction issues face, and where retail cannabis should be allowed for sale – there is a lot on our plates over the next several months to figure out, and it falls on municipalities to do the heavy lifting.
Instead of fear, however, we should be moving forward with decision making frameworks based on understanding and inclusivity – this is about a conversation we need to have as a community around how we treat other people. The debate over the public consumption is the perfect example.
City of Calgary town council voted earlier this spring to outlaw public consumption of cannabis after public feedback showed residents were not in favour of having the pungent clouds of marijuana smoke wafting around.
But are cannabis consumers really going to be filling all public spaces with smoke? There are other ways to enjoy recreational cannabis without smoking it.
It is a challenging issue. On the one hand you have the public consumption of an intoxicating substance that could have an effect on bystanders who may not want to partake in second hand cannabis. The same issue exists for tobacco – another drug legally consumed in public – but as of yet the prohibition on smoking cigarettes applies to indoor public places. Last time we checked, people could still go outside for a smoke break.
Alcohol, on the other hand, is also a legal intoxicating drug that cannot be consumed in public, and has been relegated to private residences and licenced establishments. Without any movement at the federal level on lounges and cafés for cannabis users, a ban in the Bow Valley on public consumption would relegate this legal use into private residences only.
And there is the problem – not all private residences are going to be places where people can smoke weed because many renters and possibly even condo owners could be prohibited from that activity inside as well. The bigger issue for a tourism destination like ours are hotels, which are currently very much non-smoking thanks to legislation like Canmore’s smoking bylaw.
Where are visitors that wish to smoke cannabis going to go once it is legal? Given the enormous amount of alcohol that is consumed in the valley thanks to people enjoying a drink or two while on vacation, it is not a leap to assume cannabis would also be something visitors wish to enjoy. One only needs to look south of the border to ski towns in Colorado to realize this is going to be something people do and they need a place to do it.
To ban public consumption would be unreasonable at this stage because it is a back-door way to keep cannabis prohibited in our community, when clearly the momentum is heading toward legalization. Councils in Canmore and Banff should be open to allowing this major cultural shift to occur with less restrictions on consumption than many would like.
Finally, the real responsibility around public consumption and how it could affect people lies in the hands of cannabis users. They are going to be the ones who hold the bag (pun intended) on this issue.
Cannabis consumers need to be responsible for how and where they choose to enjoy a puff. They are the ones that are now going to be ambassadors for a cultural shift and it is up to them to show those who fear the reefer there is nothing to be afraid of.
