The Province

Will freedom to smoke pot in public also apply to alcohol?

-

For years, pot activists have pushed for the legalizati­on of marijuana, saying that it should be treated the same as alcohol.

B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says people will be allowed to smoke pot anywhere people can legally smoke tobacco, though not in vehicles and places frequented by children, including beaches, parks and playground­s. Does this mean that a person can walk down the street, or stand outside entrances to buildings, bars and openly smoke pot and subject other people to their second-hand smoke and stench?

If that is true, will I be allowed to consume alcohol in the same way? If not, why not?

Joseph Edwards, Surrey

Pot stores a waste

I’m not surprised to see our nanny state province limit marijuana sales to sites separate from liquor stores.

Under the guise of protecting us from temptation, those who partake will have to make two trips to pick up supplies. I wonder what percentage of folks would have been pressured into buying weed just because it was available in the same store as the beer they came to purchase?

The reality is people who smoke marijuana aren’t going to start drinking because

liquor is in the same store, and drinkers won’t start smoking weed if it’s in their liquor store. What a waste of time, energy and money when you already have establishe­d stores that competentl­y sell restricted items.

Richard Javens, Surrey

Bike lane ‘plot’

As far back as I can remember, 60 years, angled parking has been in Yaletown. I don’t know if any emergency call was affected.

It’s bad enough now getting parking downtown. I think removing those spaces is a plot to put in another bike lane.

Murray Van Laare, Vancouver

Do the right thing

Let’s be clear on the Kinder Morgan pipeline mess that B.C. finds itself in. This is an approved project with significan­t caveats in place, it is a federal mandate in the best interests of whole country, and is of significan­t benefit to B.C.

To pander to uninformed upstarts and put the entire province — not to mention the country — in economic peril is shameful and Premier John Horgan better get his back straight, stand up and ensure we do what is right and lawful.

Paul Betts, Vernon

Tuition move makes grade

Re: Dylan Cohen’s op-ed, More support needed for kids leaving care, Feb. 8.

Whoever originated the policy of waiving tuition fees for youth in and from care is to be commended.

Although, as with most new programs, more tweaking may be necessary to ensure that young people who experience­d foster care can access opportunit­ies they may not otherwise have afforded. In turn, these students have a much better chance of becoming successful, contributi­ng members of society, living positive, fulfilling lives.

Mary Lem, Chilliwack

Sell finished products

If Alberta Premier Rachel Notley wants to get Alberta oil products to market, build a refinery in Alberta and ship refined products, which are safer for the environmen­t, more lucrative for Alberta’s coffers, and would create more jobs.

Exporting our natural resources raw will inevitably be the death of our economy.

Art Green, Hope

Good for the goose ...

Premier John Horgan needs to explain why it is wrong for Alberta Premier Rachel Notley to block the sale of B.C. wines when he is trying to block Alberta from selling its bitumen?

Who should back off? B.C. or Alberta?

Gordon von Hollen, Chilliwack

 ?? — CP FILES ?? A reader questions if new laws will give people the freedom to smoke pot while walking down the street.
— CP FILES A reader questions if new laws will give people the freedom to smoke pot while walking down the street.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada