A man smoking marijuana passed me on the street the other day. It was the pungent smell that first caught my attention and when I looked up I saw a well-dressed, middle-aged man getting high on his way to who knows where. I thought, "Get used to it, this is the future."
At the risk of sounding like an old curmudgeon, I am not waving the cannabis flag with excitement over the federal government's announcement that as of July 1, 2018 recreational marijuana will be legal in Canada for anyone over 18.
Instead I am dreading the pot shops I predict will be popping up in South Delta because, guaranteed, marijuana retailers will be coming to a shopping centre near you. You'll soon be able to buy a bag of edible pot gummies or a few joints to liven up your Saturday night after your weekly grocery shop at Thrifty Foods.
Grade 12 students streaming out of Delta and South Delta secondary schools will be able to head to the local pot shop once they turn 18 and choose from a variety of cannabis products tailored to young adults. Your granny will be able to serve pot brownies at her tea parties legally.
It's a whole new world.
Don't get me wrong, I am not against pot. My 86-year-old stepmother is almost blind from macular degeneration. She smokes pot every evening to help with eye pain, and as a sleep aid. It's a life saver with medicinal benefits for many.
I understand the case for legalization, which will take it out of the hands of organized crime, and control the quality content of cannabis. Court time won't be wasted on pot offences, tax revenues will increase and its production will create jobs.
Legalization bothers me because of the message it sends to our most vulnerable: the youth. Whatever way you want to interpret it, legalizing pot says that it's a safe drug and you may use it at your own discretion. I believe for some people marijuana is a gateway to harder drugs, it's proven to affect young brains and it affects motivation and productivity if it's used every day.
Governments claim they will use the new tax revenue for drug education and drug addiction programs, and pot will be treated as a public health issue like tobacco and alcohol. CIBC estimates legal pot revenues will be $5 billion a year for the federal and provincial governments and will prove to be an annual $22.6-billion boost to the Canadian economy. That's a lot of weed consumption.
The Liberal government believes marijuana is here to stay, it's a reality and we need to make sure there is enforcement, education and protection for the vulnerable. Our mayor and council will have the big responsibility of drafting bylaws dealing with how to regulate the sale of pot in Delta.
We have a lot to lose as we make our way down the unknown road of legalized marijuana. Let's handle it with care as the future of our youth is dependent upon it.
Ingrid Abbott is a freelance broadcaster and writer who did inhale and still doesn't care for pot.
