Fortunately, St. Albert didn’t go to pot – it made the right choice.
On Monday, city council voted 6-1 in favour of banning the public consumption of cannabis.
Thank councillor Ken MacKay for putting forward the motion to ban public consumption in the first place.
And thank council for getting it right when it comes to the health concerns of all St. Albertans. Our reputation for being a great place to raise a family remains intact.
Additionally, it must be pointed out that council made its own decision and wasn’t swayed by our big sister city to the south, Edmonton, which is leaning towards allowing public consumption.
MacKay’s views on public consumption provide a very good template for our city’s residents to follow: His approach is a cautious one, a wait-and-see attitude dominated by concerns over first- and second-hand smoke. He doesn’t want to normalize the smoking of cannabis at all.
Pot is, after all, an intoxicating substance, and MacKay wants it treated the same way as alcohol.
Also supporting the ban on public consumption are many businesses in the Perron District in downtown St. Albert. Shop owners there during a recent canvass of the area discussed their opinions. First up, many were concerned with people smoking weed in front of their stores, which would deter customers from entering their establishments, they said. They also worried about children and pregnant women getting exposed to pot smoke along their streets.
One woman pointed out that she would get high and very sick if she inhaled second-hand smoke.
Another woman suggested that cannabis bylaws should parallel smoking bylaws.
Shop owners, furthermore, feared the mess pot smoking would create along sidewalks and around their stores. If public consumption was allowed, they added, the potential for abuse would be very high. And not the least of all, they said, they hate the smell of cannabis.
The St. Albert RCMP, meanwhile, told the Gazette that it is “preparing for the legalization of marijuana through enhanced training of its officers and through planning discussions with city departments.”
The RCMP added there has been no change to its “policing numbers as a result of the marijuana legislation changes.”
As Insp. Pam Robinson said, the RCMP will adapt and respond to community needs as they unfold.
Everyone involved – government, cannabis producers, shop owners, police, health-care workers and cannabis users – will have to adapt to massive changes.
There are many questions that need to be answered, many issues that need to be addressed.
St. Albert and all other Alberta municipalities still don’t know what kind of funding – if any – they will receive from the province to deal with expected costs arising from cannabis legalization.
That’s just the beginning.
A storm is coming. National regulatory changes will sweep across the country on Oct. 17, the day smoking cannabis becomes legal.
It’s a whole new ballgame that will affect bylaws, policing, distribution and health care.
So, the city must remain vigilant as it keeps the health of all St. Albert residents at the top of its agenda.
