Cheers & Jeers
Cheers: to cannabis dos and don’ts. As the province prepares for the legalization of marijuana in Canada, it’s having to grapple with 101 scenarios governing its cultivation, use and sale. Might we suggest a weed primer be prepared for citizens along the lines of Dr. Seuss’s “Green Eggs and Ham”? “You cannot call your 10 plants four. You can’t sell homegrown in your store. If you grow it in your grass, you cannot let the children past. You can make brownies with your weed. You cannot sell your buds and seed.”
Jeers: to political hypocrisy. So, last week, Topsail-paradise MHA Paul Davis was warning that the leak of a document from a complaint before the Commissioner of Legislative Standards could undermine the process and stop other potential complainants from coming forward with allegations of harassment. This, from the very same MHA who was telling the House of Assembly last month that an investigation was underway into the conduct of Terra Nova MHA Colin Holloway when no such investigation was going on? What did he think that did to shore up confidence in the process? Puh-leeze.
Jeers: to butting in. If you’re a smoker, before you flick your cigarette butt into someone’s flower garden or driveway, stop for a second and remember you are discarding garbage and someone else has to clean up after you. Ditto for butts flicked onto the ground at eating establishment with outside tables. Cheers, of course, to smokers who don’t litter.
Jeers: to getting pointedly personal. A Canadian immigration officer is raising ire for sending a letter to a couple questioning the legitimacy of their marriage in a manner that goes far beyond what you might expect from officialdom. A woman from Pakistan is applying for permanent residency so that she can be with her husband, a Canadian citizen. The letter to her, obtained by The Canadian Press, states: “You and your sponsor (husband) do not appear well matched. You are three years older than him, he comes from a town four hours from where you live and you are not related, so it is unclear to me why the match was made.” The letter also noted their nuptials, with 123 invited guests, was small compared to traditional Pakistani weddings. “This apparent deviation from the cultural norm raises concerns that your wedding may have taken place in order for you to gain permanent residence in Canada.” NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan called the letter insulting. “It’s one thing to say, ‘I do not believe in the authenticity of this marriage,’ it’s another to make a judgment on the quality of the marriage ... I find that offensive,” she said. We agree.