It’s probably happened a while ago. With the announcement that it would be legal there has been increasing boldness in rogue “dispensaries” over the past year.
In fact, temporarily the opposite might happen. Ontario at least, the legalization date brought a massive drop in availability. Almost all the illegal shops shut down so they could apply for a legit license but nobody’s getting one til next frigging April. So now all of a sudden there’s no brick and mortar shops and most people haven’t talked to their “buddy” for months and months.
I’m enjoying the greater options and quality brought about by legalization and toleration. I’m pissed that some provinces and localities have pretty prissy regulations and by-laws which have more to do with squeezing out consumers and preventing it from being an open and largely free thing.
More generally, I’m extremely glad for the legalization of pot on society as a whole. It will displace and decrease, at the margin, the use of alcohol, opioids and super-stimulations. Potheads who are kinda shitty people would be much worse on alcohol. We’ll see an overall amelioration of social ills as people switch to a healthier, or at least less detrimental, form of self-medication. Once people see that (some) mind-altering drugs aren’t so bad and can actually be beneficial, that’ll start to open up interesting possibilities.
I’m encouraged by the fact that if a science-fiction author in 2000 had proposed a 2018 setting where gay people legally smoke pot at their wedding while discussing the legacy of a black US president, people would have responded with: “Plasmaguns, jetpacks, moonbases, I can buy, but that’s just ridiculous!”
Marijuana was available in a retail store in Canada 15 years ago. There was a store in Nelson BC, I believe called The Culture Shop, that had smoking paraphernalia in the front room, and several varieties of weed available in the back. My understanding was that it was ignored by the local law enforcement. I was never inside but I waited outside while my friends went inside and bought marijuana. Last time I checked, 4 or 5 years ago, the store was gone.
I’m Irish so it has no direct effect on me. But I do welcome it as being one of the steps to ending the lethally and corrosively stupid “War On Drugs”.
In a hundred years time, this “War” will be looked on as the biggest harm democracies ever did to themselves.
With all those Canadians heading south to Florida in their giant RVs, adding in the dope factor should make driving on the Interstate even more exciting. :eek::smack:
No partaking of weed for me. Grew up in a generation where it was available, we all knew who was selling and where the drive thru’s were and no one really gave a shit about what the govt said regarding the ill effects, real or otherwise. I never got into pot, when beer was available and did the same job.
In Ontario the government’s online pot store is up and running. They even have a cookie policy. They only deliver via Canada Post, which is going on strike in a few hours.
They are advertising 1 to 3 day delivery within the province, so someone there must be stoned, although they have upped that to 5 days for their startup period, and are taking applications from folks who would like a job.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the CBSA starts placing butt buckets out just to be nice to absent minded folks heading south.
My company’s Canadian corporate overlords sent out their cannabis policy the other week. They reminded their Canadian employees that cross the border that it is still not legal at the federal level and the US border patrol is a federal department. Do not carry across the border either way. They also pointed out it is illegal on company property, same as tobacco or alcohol and a list of other things and you cannot be under the influence on company time.
-So I guess it is best to not have a workplace accident then if you partake.
Well I don’t live in Canada so no. I tried an edible I in Washington state and it was not a pleasant experience that I worried was never gonna end. Even if I liked it, I would never consume, regularly. I have a rather volitile line of work that could lead to drug tests at inopportune times.
An interesting take from a local stoner friend here in Lethbridge, Alberta; where we currently have no legal pot shops. That will change in the near future, as permits and licenses, and such, are processed and issued, and retailers open.
Anyway, I asked him whether he’d been to Calgary, to shop for marijuana legally. No, he said, his local dealer can still beat the price of the Calgary shops, once the cost and time of travel is factored in.
I’ll check back with him once we get local shops. But I thought it was an interesting reply.
OK, so I’m in western Pennsylvania. Not legal, no shops, etc. But, I have friends in Colorado and I can purchase pretty much whatever they can purchase. While Colorado has better variety along with all the latest oils, concentrates, and edibles, I can get a better price from my local dealer Jimmy.
The prices at the online store are comparable to what it is on the street around here. I’m pretty sure the provinces took that into account when setting prices. Some dealers may hold onto a loyal customer base but it won’t be many of them when the brick and mortar stores are running.
People openly smoke weed now. Honestly, it doesn’t make a lot of difference at the individual level. Law enforcement has generally been after producers and dealers, not someone smoking a little chronic in their own house - and since most personal production and trafficking remains illegal, that’'s still true.
I don’t smoke anything, so it makes no difference to me.
