Canada: Where Pot-Legalization and Tobacco-Hating Collide
April 10, 2009 · By Shane Edwards
It`s not often that I have something resembling sympathy for any Hollywood starlet, let alone Britney Spears. Her life is a train wreck and I`ve never seen a sign of her trying to get it together yet.
However, I want someone to explain something to me. Why is it that pot-smokers get a pass to blowing smoke in everyone`s faces while cigarette smokers are persona non grata in every Canadian city?
At the Britney Spears concert in Vancouver the other night, she was so overcome by the amount of pot smoke that she left the stage. Granted, the PA system did make clear that GM Place was a non-smoking venue, but think about the attitude of the people doing the smoking.
Billy Bob Thornton in his most recent well-publicized interview with CBC’s Jian Ghomeshi, noted “I think it’s odd that you have to smoke inside a white stripe outside,” apparently referring to a no-smoking policy at buildings in the city(quoting CP).
What I don’t get (and I know because I live in Vancouver) is that the same granola-munching NIMBYs in Vancouver who suck on fatties like they’re Popeye candy sticks are revolted by cigarette smokers, and are seeking just as rabidly as residents of the Big Smoke (heh, that’s an ironic nickname for Toronto) to ostracize the nicotine-addicted.
But oh no, Cannabis is good for you! Nicotine is evil…
It never even strike them for a moment the hypocrisy of their position, that it should be legal to blow Cannabis smoke around wherever and whenever they want, but SHUN! SHUUUUN the EVIL CIGARETTE!
Now, I don’t smoke either of the weeds, but in this one instance I find myself sympathetic to both Britney Spears (cough) and the cigarette-smoker of Canada (choke).
Some years ago during a presentation to a police service board I was on, an O.P.P. officer made a comment that has stuck with me. He said “smoking one joint is as bad for your lungs as smoking half a pack of cigarettes. A smoker inhales and exhales cigarette smoke, a toker inhales and holds for as long as possible. And he doesn’t use a filter.”
So yes, for the pot-smokers to get upset about cigarette smoking… is more than a little insane!
Smoking is controlled by ‘evil corporations’ and fund ‘evil right wing government’ while pot is grown in your back yard and grown for sharing with your community.
I bet if pot was controlled and taxed and provide by corporations they would be against that too.
Here’s an idea for the Cancer Society researchers, do a study of maryjane smokers. That should be an interesting trial – no shortage of applicants for the freebies.