It was a full house at Wednesday’s St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce meeting as cannabis legalization was on the agenda. Although we are just a few months away (supposedly) from marijuana being widely available, there are still many questions remaining.
There isn’t an easy way to measure cannabis impairment. That problem has huge ramifications for impaired driving and workplace safety. At Wednesday’s meeting we also learned that once edibles are legalized, we should presume that there won’t be restrictions on public consumption, outside of smoking and vaping. Sipping a beer while floating on a boat can land a person in trouble, but eating a cannabis cookie downtown will be A-ok. How does one differentiate cookies?
Based on the experiences in the states of Colorado and Washington, we are in for a rocky ride. While politicians will argue that people are smoking up anyway, and they might as well pay a tax for the pleasure, the unintended (or disregarded) consequences are numerous and vexing. In addition to the long-term health problems associated with smoking pot, in the first few years of legalization Albertans can expect to see an increase in impaired driving fatalities, given the U.S. experiences. Furthermore, Albertans will also see an increase in emergency room visits due to unintentional cannabis poisoning in children, particularly when edibles become legal. Also, we may very well see a portion of the population with worse physical and mental health, due to increased smoking, increased appetite and decreased motivation. These increased health costs come directly out of the pocket of taxpayers.
Wednesday’s chamber meeting presented that approximately 55 per cent of Albertans have tried marijuana in their lifetime, a statistic that is likely conservative due to the likelihood that some partakers may not admit their usage. A telephone survey last year by the government found that approximately 25 per cent of Albertans used marijuana for either recreational or medicinal purposes within the past year. With easy access to the bud once it’s legalized, that percentage will undoubtedly increase, along with the issues that come along with it, as evidenced in the U.S.
The Trudeau government is rushing a framework that will have a lasting impact on society. Governments, at all levels, are constantly looking for more revenue. This particular revenue stream will have consequences beyond our pocketbooks.
