Pubdate: Mon, 04 Jul 2016
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Page: 12
Copyright: 2016 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Maryam Shah

NEW KIND OF SMOKE BREAK?

Will stigma around marijuana use hang in the air after legalization?

The Toronto Sun spoke with Deepak Anand, of the Canadian National 
Medical Marijuana Association, and Patricia Erickson, an adjunct 
professor of sociology at the University of Toronto, to get their 
thoughts on the subject:

Q: Legalization will come as a major victory for advocates, but does 
that necessarily mean recreational use will lose its stigma?

Anand: "No, I don't think in the immediate future that that's going 
to happen. I think marijuana has already lost a huge amount of stigma 
with medical use.

As it relates to recreational cannabis, I think we're still a ways 
away from that."

Q: What stigma do medical users still face?

Anand: "It's still very restricted in the workplace. There are 
concerns around use of equipment and machinery, particularly people 
in those types of jobs that have that, they're finding a lot of 
stigma and criticism from their employers about that. There's been a 
few court cases and challenges."

Q: Do you know any medical users too afraid to tell their workplace?

Anand: "Yes, we definitely hear stories from a lot of people. People 
don't want to be sort of known as being consuming medical marijuana 
and having that disclosed.

As we talk about the stigma going down, and it being more acceptable, 
particularly as medicine, I think once we get to that stage where we 
have it in alternative forms - through pills, patches, some of the 
other pharmaceutical delivery mechanisms - that will help the stigma 
issue, as well, significantly."

Q: Do you think legalization will make it more acceptable to refer to 
marijuana the way we refer to alcohol?

Erickson: "I think it'll still depend very much on who they're 
talking to and who they're around. I don't think everybody talks 
about their drinking, either.

I don't think there's going to be some big date on the calendar where 
it turns into a legally-regulated drug ... and then suddenly the 
norms around it are going to be different. I think that process has 
been going on since the 60s, actually, and it won't really change overnight.

But the thing that will change is that people will not have that 
discomfort anymore that (they) could get arrested and get into having 
a record for this behaviour."

Q: So legal stigma is still the largest form of stigma, essentially?

Erickson: "Yes, and even if people are not totally aware of the 
implications, it is a factor in travel and jobs and government - a 
criminal record, you get that, it's like losing your social 
virginity. There's no going back. You can get a 'pardon' or a record 
suspension, but it never really goes away."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom