KAMLOOPS — I like Calgary’s approach to the consumption of marijuana in public.
Our Alberta neighbor is looking at restricting cannabis use to private homes.
The provincial governments of both B.C. and Alberta have signaled they’ll allow cannabis to be smoked, vaped or ingested in public places such as parks and sidewalks.
How will you feel about walking down Victoria Street and having someone pass you toking away on a doobie?
The stuff reeks.
Calgary’s proposed bylaw would aim at keeping all forms of consumption of weed away from public areas with the exceptions of medical marijuana and the equivalent of beer gardens. It should be noted that any local bylaw that attempts to restrict where medical marijuana can be consumed would probably be unlawful anyway.
Arguments can be made that vaping or eating marijuana is different than smoking it, and that any restrictions should at least be limited to smoking. However, the simple approach would be to treat marijuana the same as alcohol when it comes to public consumption.
In other words, go find a private place to consume it, such as your own home or a marijuana lounge.
Otherwise, though, cannabis can be enjoyed just fine without using parks and sidewalks to consume it.
Currently, bylaws restrict the smoking of tobacco in parks and within certain distances of entry to sports venues. That leaves the streets available, but tobacco and marijuana are in no way comparable.
Calgary police have already let it be known they won’t have the time to enforce the bylaw against public consumption if it goes through. That’s just another argument for a blanket approach instead of getting complicated — the simpler things are, the easier enforcement will be.
Just something for Kamloops City council to think about as it noodles about the details of its own regulations on marijuana consumption.
I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.
