By Armchair Mayor

ROTHENBURGER: The risks of consuming marijuana vs. upsizing your fries

Mar 6, 2019 | 4:03 AM

KAMLOOPS — THE NORMALIZATION OF CANNABIS has a long way to go yet and part of the process is getting over our old fears about the weed.

Some of those fears were expressed at the regular weekly meeting of Kamloops City council on Tuesday as a dance school operator worried about the impact of a proposed pot shop on her business.

As applications have come forward to the council for consideration, more objections about locations have been raised. Council has withheld its support of a couple of applications based primarily on where they would have been opened.

To be sure, there will always be places where certain businesses shouldn’t go, whether it’s convenience stores across the street from schools or liquor stores near daycare centres.

But those businesses are a legal part of our economy and, now, so are cannabis stores.

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In supporting the application in front of council Tuesday, Mayor Ken Christian offered the interesting opinion that a cannabis store would be less harmful to kids than “upsizing their fries” at a drive-thru.

Coun. Mike O’Reilly’s view was that a pot shop will increase legal activity in its immediate area and actually discourage illegal activity.

There were also concerns that if council becomes too focused on the location issue it would be a deterrent to entrepreneurs. “Moving the goalposts,” as O’Reilly put it.

Well, neighbourhood issues should always be considered. The concerns of those most directly impacted by any business should always be considered.

But so far legalization is not bringing on the host of problems some people thought it would. We all have to stop worrying and — if not love it — learn to accept marijuana as something other than an evil influence that will lead to the downfall of society.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.