1722 replies to this topic

[LJ]

There used to be smoking lounges in airports but there were no employees inside the lounge. Outside the lounge you could charge people for entry to pay for the space.

[Cassidy]

Mmmmm, nothing really to go wrong there? ... I mean you invite folks into a business to smoke pot, but your employees can't go in and monitor the activities which take place inside the actual business space, can't go in and clean or maintain the space and ensure it doesn't turn into a den of crack dealing thieves.

 

Call me old fashioned, but in my day we put on a jacket and went for a walk to smoke a joint.

 

Perhaps most important (and as noted earlier) it's just Isitt pandering to his base, inventing an issue that doesn't exist - Helps hopping on the pot-lounge crisis with Isitt is just more 30 click silliness from her Worship.

[Victoria Watcher]

yes it seems it's legal to smoke out on the sidewalk or street in front of your apartment building.  seems odd to make/allow a few places for them to drive to or take a bus to to smoke.  

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 08 September 2018 - 05:52 AM.

[Midnightly]

would people really make a point to leave their homes.. take a bus or drive (and battle to find parking if it's located downtown) to smoke a joint? then there's the legality of driving home after smoking... yes i get there can be a social aspect to it (like going out the a bar for a drink.. or out for coffee) but would people make the solid effort every time they wanted to smoke when they could just step out their back door

[Stephen James]

Yep, 2 million daily/weekly pot smokers. But a much larger number for casual users. From Statistics Canada for the first quarter of 2018:

 

"Nationally, about 4.2 million or 14% of Canadians aged 15 years and older reported some use of cannabis products for medical or non-medical use in the past three months. More than half (56%) of the users indicated that they used some form of cannabis 'daily' or 'weekly.'"

 

And then you have those who currently do not consume or consume even less frequently than every 3 months, who are likely to increase consumption or start consumption upon legalization. Stats Canada says that's another 6%. So in reality, you could have up to 20% of folks 15+ who are consuming cannabis come October 17.

 

For comparison, 16.2% or 5 million Canadians 12 years and older reported smoking cigarettes in 2017.

 

This all being said, there are a lot of "pro-business, less government regulation" minded people on this forum, so it is a bit surprising to see such hate towards an initiative that would allow for a new business(es) to operate under relaxed government regulation. Isn't that a good thing if that's your lens on life? I think we'd all be up in arms if bars were no longer allowed to serve alcohol.

Deloitte published in June 2018, estimating 1/5 Canadians use cannabis casually to daily.  Fantino corroborated, in a comment recently, when he said, "when 20% of the population is ignoring the law, the law needs to change."  On Oct 17, Deloitte estimates the market to almost double when another 17/100 become willing because it's legal.  The report is very easy to find with a google search.

 

Lots of emotional baggage around this issue, as with every important change, but it will normalize with time, also just like every cultural/societal change we've witnessed.  For my part, I never drink alcohol and do occasionally use cannabis for both recreational and therapeutic reasons.  My own experience with both has taught me one is a much better choice, for many reasons.  Thanks goodness this change is happening; thank goodness I'm lucky enough to own my own home.

 

Many cities are trying to figure out this "lounge/social location" element, and not just because some people live in apartments or condos.  There is a demand for people to gather, interact and share the experience, entirely organic and independent of how one might feel about Mr Isitt (I struggle to be in the same room, myself.)  This shouldn't be too hard to understand for anyone who's ever gone to a bar to dance, laugh, meet friends, be silly for a while.  There is an example in Portland happening with the Mayor's blessing, because no-one is sure how big the demand, whether it can work, or if it should exist at all.  In Vegas, according to a friend, one idea is licensing/zoning for private clubs...

[Stephen James]

Thing is, you can't portray pot smokers as poor victims unable to freely indulge their addiction whilst at the same time marginalizing tobacco smokers.

But again, it's just Isitt playing to his base, so no need for logic. And saying things that a kindergartener could debunk has never stopped him getting elected in the past, I guess, so why start making rational arguments now?

Your apparent assumption that pot smokers are all addicted makes as much sense as "all drinkers are alcoholics."  Maybe you think that's true as well?

[Stephen James]

Unless these lounges encourage more people to smoke, in general. 

and condoms encourage teenagers to engage in deviant, pre-marital, amoral sex...

[Stephen James]

Presumably, the CRD bylaws supersede the basic provincial regulations, since they are more, not less, restrictive. I can see no reason to ease up on local regulations to accommodate a tiny handful of pot smokers.

again, whether you like it or not, both Deloitte and StatsCan put the number today at 1/5

so, if that's a handful to you...

[PraiseKek]

Look if we have safe injection sites we'll have safe canabis smoking sites guaranteed. Everyone knows it will happen. I'm thinking at this point might as well just have bedlam.

[PraiseKek]

Your apparent assumption that pot smokers are all addicted makes as much sense as "all drinkers are alcoholics."  Maybe you think that's true as well?

It's possible to have a drink or two and not get intoxicated. If you smoke pot the entire point is to get "high".

[rmpeers]

Your apparent assumption that pot smokers are all addicted makes as much sense as "all drinkers are alcoholics." Maybe you think that's true as well?

I'm just basing that on the fact that there is apparently such a pressing need for safe toking spaces. Mellow out, man.

Edited by rmpeers, 09 September 2018 - 03:23 PM.

[LJ]

yes it seems it's legal to smoke out on the sidewalk or street in front of your apartment building.  seems odd to make/allow a few places for them to drive to or take a bus to to smoke.  

You can't drink alcohol out on the sidewalk in front of your apartment building why should you be able to smoke pot?

[DustMagnet]

You can't drink alcohol out on the sidewalk in front of your apartment building why should you be able to smoke pot?

The bigger question (to me) is: Why can't you drink alcohol on the sidewalk?

[LJ]

The bigger question (to me) is: Why can't you drink alcohol on the sidewalk?

Ask your local politician.

[Nparker]

Ask your local politician.

Invite her (or him) for a drink in your rec room. Cozy, personal spaces are where the real policy decisions are made.

[Stephen James]

Invite her (or him) for a drink in your rec room. Cozy, personal spaces are where the real policy decisions are made.

brilliant, on many levels!

[Stephen James]

It's possible to have a drink or two and not get intoxicated. If you smoke pot the entire point is to get "high".

ah... no, again, lol, on every point here.

this issue has been characterized by a lot of opinion proposed as fact, nothing unusual of course.  

[Stephen James]

Look if we have safe injection sites we'll have safe canabis smoking sites guaranteed. Everyone knows it will happen. I'm thinking at this point might as well just have bedlam.

who is Kek?

I've seen this several times before in a few places, some quite sinister

[Victoria Watcher]

council and city running like normal.

 

 

 

.

 

City administrators had the consultants’ reports that estimated higher costs but didn’t share them with city councillors in a July update.

 

 

 

 

 

Helps said the pool will be ready for tender by the end of the year.

 

“When the bridge was sent out to contract it was 30 per cent designed at best. When the pool goes out for tender it will be at 100 per cent design.”

 

She said there was no reason for staff to provide council with the technical reports prepared by Advicas and Ross Templeton.

 

 

https://www.timescol...lion-1.23426792

 

 

 

 

and why would the pool be put out to tender this year when there is no money for it until at the very earliest march or april?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 11 September 2018 - 07:09 AM.

[spanky123]

^ From what I can tell, there have been at least two council meetings since this July update where council has been asked to approve aditional funds for planning and research on Crystal Pool. One was for a parking study, the other for consultation on green space if I recall. 

 

YOU WOULD THINK THAT IT WOULD BE HANDY FOR COUNCIL TO HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION PRIOR TO BEING ASKING TO VOTE.

 

Nope. Sounds like Mayor Helps decided that wasn't necessary. Who knows, perhaps she thought that council having documents that showed that construction estimates were way over budget might give them pause. Heck someone might even say "wait, why are we paying for studies on a design that it looks like we can't afford anyways?".

 

Much simpler to just keep everyone in the dark and push this forward as fast as possible.

Edited by spanky123, 11 September 2018 - 07:25 AM.