this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2023
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Five years later, researchers say the impacts of legalizing cannabis in Canada have been mixed (www.ctvnews.ca)
submitted 1 year ago by sik0fewl@kbin.social to c/canada@lemmy.ca
17 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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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[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 year ago (4 children)

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.

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

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.

[–] voidavoid@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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?

[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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.

[–] voidavoid@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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.

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago

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

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago

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.

[–] Tigbitties@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

local cannabis shops are attracting β€œcharacters”

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.

[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 year ago

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.

[–] fleabomber@lemm.ee 13 points 1 year ago

This doesn't sound like mixed results. Get rid of the kid friendly packaging and you'll lower the overdoses with kids. I'd like to see if alcohol consumption changed during this period.

[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well for one I now have access to cannabis oil that helps me relieve anxiety and sleep as lot better. So personally it's great.

Where it's not so great is where governments have been too restrictive and people had to circumvent these restrictions. For things like growing it at home or edibles in Quebec for example.

[–] nueonetwo@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My partner gets 20 mg gummie from the black market that work amazing for her for sleep. 100 gummie for $100. Can't get gummie for that price, or with that dosage from the gov't, so she'll never buy from them.

I understand the issues with edibles and kids, but the gov't isn't going to win this so they may as well figure out how to move forward if they want to make an actual dent in the black market.

[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago

Just make the packaging look like it's medication with a big scary warning sign on it. And make the gummies a boring color. It's as simple as that.

And if the dosage is too high, simply reduce it by half. Let people take two if they need to.

[–] SparkyTemper@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We have a hard time hiring workers because we have a zero drug policy and nobody can pass a piss test.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 3 points 1 year ago

I once applied to a job that tested for alcohol and nicotine and I thought that was pretty nuts.like they only hire straight edge people? They must be hurting for employees often.

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I will never spend a cent of tax on cannabis. After 25 years of being demonized, demeaned, criminalized and prosecuted, now suddenly all the same assholes who pushed that agenda are invested in cannabis companies? Fuck that shit. Black market was good enough before and it's even better after legalization.

[–] kattenluik@feddit.nl 9 points 1 year ago

Fuck everyone who needs it to be legal right? Progress is bad if it negatively affects me in any way shape or form!