Many potholes on road to legalization
Re No cap on the number of pot shops, Sept. 27
The announcement on Sept. 26 by the attorney general with respect to the new cannabis legislation indicated that it could be consumed anywhere cigarettes can.
I would take that to mean that it’s OK to use pot while walking the dog, taking the kids to the park or at the beach. It may even include office workers’ 15-minute smoking breaks near downtown Toronto office buildings.
The one thing that has not been mentioned about pot consumption is a correlation to alcohol consumption. Most people don’t drink to get drunk, but with cannabis there is only one goal in mind — to get high.
After a beer at lunch or after work in a local pub, most consumers are able to go back to their metal-stamping machine in the factory or drive home.
After smoking only one joint (or even a half a joint), your level of intoxication is much more immediate and longer lasting. Combine that with a beer or two and you open a whole new can of worms.
The genie will be out of the bottle only a couple of weeks from now.
Marty Fruchtman, Toronto
This story begins by saying that “recreational tokers will be able to fire up wherever it’s legal to puff on cigarettes.”
As someone who doesn’t like tobacco smokers smoking near me and most certainly doesn’t want pot being forced on me either, I have a question. What will protect us from those who now have a right to smoke out in public? Who will keep them from forcing their smoke on us? What about our rights to not have it forced on us?
James Knott, Mississauga
Re Experts chime in on talking pot with your kids, Sept. 23
Legalization is giving rise to the serious issue of adolescents and cannabis. As an adolescent myself, I can say that effective communication is vital if we don’t want legalization to impact youth negatively.
Communication about a healthy approach to legal cannabis begins at home. Communication should then grow to include the classroom and dedicated councillors within schools. A national awareness is necessary to promote healthy use of cannabis so the decision to legalize it is not regretted.
Sana Murtaza, Ajax