CITY’S POT PARK PLANS ARE DOPEY
Civic politicians’ handling of public cannabis consumption sites has Calgarians wondering what they’re puffing on at city hall. City council banned the public use of marijuana, but then felt compelled to provide sites where the soon-to-be-legal intoxicant can be used. It was felt that some renters and condo residents, whose regulations don’t permit them to smoke tobacco, would be further inconvenienced when marijuana is legalized on Oct. 17.
It’s strange, of course, that city council wasn’t similarly concerned about such people being unable to light up their cigarettes and cigars at home, because of the inconvenience it would present to those they share living space with.
The politicians probably assumed smokers would find a spot to enjoy their habit and that no further regulation or accommodation was necessary.
No such common sense is displayed when it comes to smoking pot. The city has released a list of four proposed public pot-smoking sites, and all of them are in Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra’s jurisdiction.
Calgarians are left to think that there’s either a tremendous number of drug users among Carra’s constituents, or that the idea of creating zones across the city where pot can be smoked in public was, well, dopey. It would be like arguing libraries are a public necessity, but then only building four of them — all of them within a single ward.
The remaining members of council still have the option of proposing cannabis-smoking areas within their own wards, but they won’t be
I’m not particularly keen on them doing it near my son ... it’s just not good for little minds.
considered on Oct. 9, days before the legalization of pot. It begs the question of how important the subject is. People have been discreetly smoking pot for years, albeit illegally, without hand holding from city hall at considerable public expense.
Predictably, reaction to even four suggested sites has been swift. Those who live near the areas and visit them with their children are understandably wary of turning portions of the green spaces into legalized drug dens.
Calgarians are accustomed to parks being used for recreation, such as throwing a Frisbee or playing soccer, but not as hotbeds of recreational drugs.
“I’m not particularly keen on them doing it near my son ... it’s just not good for little minds,” said Graham Newby of pot smokers while visiting the playground at Murdoch Park, one of the proposed sites, with his two-year-old son. “We come to this park almost daily.”
Just like Newby, Bridgeland resident Marie Carlson isn’t opposed to legalization, but has concerns about Murdoch Park being chosen as a cannabis consumption site. “It’s an area that has lots of sports and lots of children,” said Carlson.
Carra should ask himself who would want to see part of their neighbourhood park turned into a drug zone? And city council should ask who is going to enforce the age limit for smoking pot? Will there be safeguards to ensure youths who frequent the areas for their own activities aren’t able to purchase marijuana from the nearby adult drug users?
Calgarians face the prospect of cannabis smokers being invited to drive to one of four approved consumption sites in Carra’s riding, getting stoned, and then driving back to their units elsewhere in the city.
This isn’t prudent planning, it’s a frightening hallucination.