It’s taken a while.
But the fog is finally starting to lift on how P.E.I. plans to handle legalized recreational marijuana when it comes to the Island on July 1.
Even so, things are still pretty foggy.
So, what do we know? The legal age for use is 19, restricted to private residences and pot will be sold in government-owned retail outlets.
Here’s something we don’t know – do Islanders even care?
Corporate Research Associates recently conducted a telephone survey to gauge Canadians’ interest in using recreational marijuana. The survey said only 15 per cent of Islanders plan to use pot once it’s legal.
That seems low, and here’s my theory why.
Someone you don’t know calls you on the phone and asks you whether you plan to smoke recreational pot once it’s legal. You start to answer, but then start to wonder how this person got your phone number and knows your name. Are they really who they say they are? Or, is it a trick? As a result, you’re more likely to say no. Of course, they are who they say they are. You’re just being paranoid, which can happen to some people when they smoke pot. As I said, it’s just a theory.
I also suspect actual marijuana use will be much higher when tourists start flocking to the Island next summer. With some clever marketing, Canada’s Food Island could also become Canada’s Pot Island. Eating lobster on the beach and watching the sunset with some P.E.I. bud – sounds like a plan. But it’s a non-starter. The government says it isn’t planning to advertise legal pot, consistent with the wishes of the Canadian Public Health Association.
On the other hand, maybe the 15 per cent level of interest is closer to reality. The first day sales start (July 1, which is a Sunday, or maybe the next day), you drive to the pot store, park your car and then see the media standing on the sidewalk filming or photographing people and trying to do interviews as they go in to buy pot.
Do you get out of the car? Do you want your boss or co-workers to see you on television or in the newspaper buying marijuana? I suspect some people will get cold feet and drive away. I also suspect others will drive by the pot stores to try and catch a glimpse of someone they know going inside.
Legal or not, there’s still stigma around smoking recreational pot. Ask yourself this – the next time you’re walking down the street and you pass by someone whose professional opinion you rely on, such as a financial advisor or lawyer or family doctor, smelling like Cheech and Chong, what’s your reaction? It’s legal of course, but is it socially acceptable? Do we see that person just a little bit differently than before? The next time you’re looking for professional services, do you go to someone else?
Maybe in time it won’t matter.
An unfortunate part in all this is the private sector is being shut out of the retail aspect of legal pot. The Island likes to boast about its economic development, new businesses and entrepreneurship. But when an industry that could take off like the next craft beer wave comes, government keeps it all to itself. This is bad news for anyone that was interested in a startup retail chain or investing in one. But with a 75 per cent share of tax revenue for the next two years, who can blame the province for keeping the private sector out.
Maybe there are private sector investment and startup opportunities on the production side. As a producer of medical marijuana, Canada’s Island Garden in Charlottetown already has a head start on recreational production and supply. It’ll be interesting to see who else on the Island gives production a try. It’ll also be interesting so see what is on the shelves at the pot stores. Local, of course, but will there be marijuana imported from elsewhere? British Columbia bud is “primo,” I hear. What about Colorado or even Amsterdam bud? Possibly. We do see imported beer, wine and alcohol in liquor stores, after all.
The government says more details will be rolled out as the due date approaches, which is now about five-and-a-half months away. Let’s wait with anticipation given there is still so many unanswered questions remaining. But one thing seems certain. Once July 1 rolls around, getting used to the idea of legal pot on the Island isn’t going to happen overnight.
Twitter.com/terry_mcn
