Five years later, researchers say the impacts of legalizing cannabis in Canada have been mixed
Five years later, researchers say the impacts of legalizing cannabis in Canada have been mixed
Since Canada's legalization of cannabis five years ago, researchers say the policy has had mixed results in terms of public health and justice reform.
Since Canada's legalization of cannabis five years ago, researchers say the policy has had mixed results in terms of public health and justice reform.
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Cannabis legalization in Canada appears not to have been the public health disaster anticipated by some of its opponents...
I can only say this as someone who is outdoors and in my community quite often: cannabis legalization has created so many situations where I'm now breathing second hand smoke or have to smell the gut-turning skunk stink that is weed.
It's made otherwise pleasant outdoor experiences into negative ones.
- Walking on an outdoor trail? Weed.
- Biking outdoors on local paths? Weed.
- In my own backyard? Weed, with the sounds of my neighbours retching as they smoke... how pleasant.
- In my own home with the windows open? Weed.
- On downtown sidewalks? Weed.
I can't escape it. It's far worse than what I experience with smokers.
Not to mention that, observationally, the numerous local cannabis shops are attracting "characters" that have made these areas appear visibly worse than before legalization.
But like I said, that's just my experience of how it's negatively impacted my life and community. Maybe it's benefited other non-users in some way that I'm not aware about. If so, I'd be quite surprised.
I smell and hear cars everywhere I go. They literally kill me and my loved ones. No one is going to care about some pot smoke.
Out of curiosity, when you describe yr experience of being exposed to the scent of cannabis when outdoors, are we talking a persistent scent in these enviroments, a passing whiff, or somewhere in between?
somewhere in between
Depends. Since legalization, between two neighbours I have who seem to smoke regularly, I had to keep the windows closed to our kitchen and bedrooms over the summer months. We're talking about early morning to midnight. Working on my bike in my own backyard is a challenge because of that.
On walks/rides, this can happen in passing at least a few times per outing. At parks, sometimes, someone will be there smoking weed while they watch their kid, which means I can't take my grandkids to the park at that moment.
For me, it's not just a smell to be annoyed with. I get persistent headaches/migraines when exposed to cigarette or cannabis smoke, for hours. Effectively, it can ruin my day, and I've had to return from hikes on more than several occasions because of this.
I'm not arguing against people's choice to do drugs, but when it affects others around them, it's problematic. It's honestly disappointing that my original comment has been downvoted, considering this is something that I'd think any reasonable person would agree with. My experience has been profoundly negative.
I can see that being frustrating for sure.
Ngl, I've seen nothing but positives from legalization on a personal level, but I was curious to hear yr experience, as what you described in yr original comment reminded me of my dad's complaint of second hand cannabis smoke when we were out in public, and he caught of whiff of it for less than 5 seconds, which seemed... extreme.
Thanks for taking the time to answer.
Its a problem, it hangs in the air and spreads really far. it isn't like a cigarette where it wafts away quickly. we experienced the same as the other commentor. a local pond is lowlying and some dude chilling out is choking out everyone trying to enjoy a moment. Our balcony gets flooded with the stank from the lower floor unit, or blows directly into our place while eating dinner. We've seen a group hanging out on a path and parents having to walk their kids through a huge cloud. It just sucks that everyone that wants to avoid that smell or smoke now has every park, beach, trail, sidewalk stinking and smokey. as my username suggests I'm in BC and it has always neen tolerated here, but at least before people went to remote places or did it inside, now it seems people just don't have common courtesy simce it waa decriminalized
From both sides when it bugs ya is a pain for sure. Not even weed, if I had 2 chain smokers as my neighbors I'd be very annoyed.
Obviously it'd be better for you if they were smoking less or were somehow able to direct it away from your place, but maybe a couple small / medium hepa filters will at least ease your discomfort instead of having to keep windows closed when you maybe want them open?
It would be nice if they just smoked in their home, but I'm not the type to be militant about what people do on their property.
I've learned to just deal with not having those windows open, even though I'd love to have them open more often.
The challenges when others smoke outdoors (both cigarettes and weed) in public places is probably more of an issue. Since I try to get outdoors to improve my health (physically and mentally), so not being able to as much as I'd like has a negative effect in the short and long-term.
Like I said, as soon as it starts to impact other people, it's a problem.
We have the same where I live. it sucks, and ruins a lot of nice nature moments. I had throat cancer before ( not from smoking) so with radiation treatment now any smoke brings me into a coughing episode, as does smell of a badly tuned diesel, or vinegar...but vinegar isn't something people typically waft about. Nothing worse than trying to enjoy dinner and a neighbour is puffing away and it blows into your own place.
local cannabis shops are attracting “characters”
I'm very curious where you live. The only people that are buying weed from the SQDC here in Montreal are soccer moms and grandparents.
I’m very curious where you live.
Durham Region.
Since these places have opened up, I've seen a marked increase of loitering in these areas, people that absolutely don't look like soccer moms, and a general bad vibe. It's bad enough around our beer stores and LCBOs, but there seems to be far more cannabis shops than alcohol stores these days.
The effect of crime near cannabis shops after legalization in various US states/cities has shown an increase in some, and none in others. Perhaps my area is one of the unlucky ones.