Pubdate: Thu, 02 Jun 2016
Source: Markham Economist & Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 Metroland Printing
Contact:  http://www.yorkregion.com/markham-on/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2360
Author: Bernie O'Neill

NEW POT LAWS NEED EXPEDITING

When I was growing up, my parents employed some crazy family 
management practices, like put it out to the whole clan, "We're 
having takeout, what would you like to have for dinner?"

This was the type of thing you did when you didn't have the internet 
or 500 TV channels. You let your kids entertain you.

In the case of impromptu takeout nights, there was a catch. We were 
buying dinner from one place. We just needed a consensus on what that 
place would be.

The O.J. Simpson jury probably did less wrangling.

Again, takeout is being legalized for this evening and this evening 
only as far as this week goes. Just come together on what form that 
takeout will take and let us know. Or at least show us you have a 
majority vote.

Eventually, through some debaters making a strong case ("We had 
burgers last time!" "You always want subs!") we'd end up with an 
X-large pizza or bucket of chicken and of the five kids in the family 
(yes, five kids... those were the days) two were happy, one was 
indifferent, one sulked as he chewed on a crust (or chicken bone) and 
one went up to her room and did not eat.

She'd slam her bedroom door.

Meanwhile my dad smiled, as if he enjoyed nothing more than his 
evening of UN-style family government.

What all this accomplished I am not sure. Entertainment, maybe. Or it 
preserved the illusion a family is a democracy, when, in fact, the 
parents have the majority vote.

I wondered why one of them didn't just come walking through the door 
with a couple of big pizzas. "If you don't like it, have a bowl of cereal."

I think of these times in the wake of the fiasco related to the pot 
dispensaries in Toronto that were busted this past week, the same way 
a couple of identical pot dispensaries in York Region were busted months ago.

Police, at the apparent urging of the city's mayor, endeavoured to 
enforce the laws as they apparently exist (you need to use a lot of 
apparentlys here, because apparently a lot of people are very 
confused about what the rules are - even those intimately involved).

Why are they confused (or leaping to fill a vacuum amid the apparent 
confusion)?

A government with a young leader who admits to having smoked 
marijuana as an MP, runs on the promise to legalize marijuana. That 
government is elected to a majority. Many months pass.

Finally an announcement is made that they hope to have the 
legislation passed, at some point (hopefully) next year - a year and 
a half after being elected.

A long time, considering how prevalent the use of this stuff is, 
whether we like it or not.

York police use something called a "crime map" on their website. If 
you set it to show you all the drug-related crimes (90 per cent of 
which appear to be possession of marijuana) between when the Liberals 
were elected and today, the map lights up with literally hundreds and 
hundreds of charges.

The other day I saw a driver in a BMW as we crawled along 16th 
Avenue, holding a marijuana joint out the window (so as not stink up 
his nice car) between puffs.

York police recently pulled over a driver who was smoking a bong 
behind the wheel.

I doubt smoking up while driving is going to be allowed under the 
coming legislation.

But in the wake of no new legislation, people are doing whatever they 
please, or so it seems.

I wish those in charge - in this case, our government - would just 
order the large pizza, metaphorically speaking, and get on with it. 
When it comes to the haze of pot laws, clarity is needed.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom