City to test pot consumption zones at festivals

AHS fears it would ‘normalize’ usage

Pot-smokers at Calgary festivals will soon have their own place to toke — at least for the time being.

Council will run a pilot project allowing city festivals and events to have designated cannabis consumption zones, much like the smoking areas many currently have.

Administration will report back to council in the fourth-quarter of 2019 allowing them to review the effect of their bylaw amendments over the course of a full festival season.

“I think it’s better for people to have a location to smoke or use instead of it being all over the place because, no matter what, people are going to do it,” said Coun. Sean Chu, a former Calgary police officer.

“Even now, we see it already. People are using it and every event you go to you can smell it. It’s better off to have one place … people who don’t want to smell it can stay away from it.”

Although Alberta Health Services opposed cannabis consumption at festivals and events, council moved forward with the bylaw amendments.

“The concerns with that is that it will actually normalize consumption of cannabis,” Dr. Brent Friesen, with Alberta Health Services, told council committee members in early April.

It’ll be perceived, rightly or wrongly, that using cannabis is normal, accepted behaviour.

“Particularly if there’s these ‘cannabis gardens’ established at events (with) lots of visibility, not just for adults but for children. And it’ll be perceived, rightly or wrongly, that using cannabis is normal, accepted behaviour, and we don’t want that message going out to children and youth at this early stage in the legalization of cannabis.”

AHS told committee members at the time it supports the public ban on cannabis consumption, but urged council to go even further in restricting cannabis and tobacco consumption in public places.

Coun. Evan Woolley said council should be looking at just the opposite. “We need to be thoughtful about our natural tendencies in government sometimes to overregulate as opposed to just allowing it to be,” he said.

“I think pot gardens at festivals and events is completely appropriate, but actually it’s bigger than that. I think it’s the broader citywide conversation we are struggling with.

“One of the things I struggled with and voted against was for us to ban smoking pot outside of private property. It really will leave tens of thousands of Calgarians who are renters out of a place to consume. We are creating an environment where people can buy, but we are basically limiting the consumption of the product.”

Woolley said it’s all about finding a balance.

“There are thousands of public locations to consume alcohol in the city, but the problem with our marijuana laws right now is when it becomes legal, we will not have commercial space to consume marijuana,” he said.

“We need to allow the consumption citywide in public space. The rules should be just like smoking rules — not within five metres of a door, but you should be able to smoke marijuana wherever.”