Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
While their cannabis use is far from being one of their defining characteristics, the majority of elected officials with Brandon responsibilities in the three levels of government say they have partaken in the activity at some point in their lives.
Of the 14 elected officials — 11 members of Brandon City Council, two Brandon MLAs and the area’s MP — 11 said they have smoked cannabis and three said they had not.
On whether they intended to inhale cannabis once recreational use becomes legal on July 1, the majority of the elected officials offered greater ambiguity in their answer, with only six respondents offering a clearly defined "no."
One said they likely would, and seven offered uncertainty, with some saying that they "likely" or "probably" would not do so.
Brandon West Progressive Conservative MLA Reg Helwer said that while he did not plan on partaking once recreational cannabis was legalized, he added that he’s also "very encouraged by our government’s approach to ensuring Manitobans have a safe supply should they choose to partake and making sure that Manitobans are safe on the highways."
There’s a greater nuance to many of these answers than a simple "Yes" or "No," with Mayor Rick Chrest clarifying that while he does not foresee cannabis playing a role in his future, he won’t rule out its medicinal properties being of benefit.
"At some point in my life I could have a condition — a disease, an ailment that would benefit," he said. "In that regard I’d be open-minded to it and it wouldn’t be unlike any other medicine prescribed."
All three levels of government were deemed relevant in drafting this poll of local decision-makers, in that the federal Liberals are pushing for the legalization of recreational cannabis, the provincial Tories have been charged with hashing out how it will work in Manitoba, and municipal governments will decide whether they accept cannabis retailers in their jurisdictions.
Of the elected officials who said that they have consumed cannabis in their lifetime, a strong majority were quick to clarify that it was something they haven’t done since their younger days.
Asked to guess how many of the elected officials had admitted to smoking cannabis in their lifetimes, local Growers n’ Smokers head shop owner Rick Macl offered a guess of two.
After a healthy laugh on learning that 11 had admitted to doing so, he said that he was "pleasantly surprised" by the result.
Even so, Macl said that one shouldn’t be too shocked, since cannabis use is much more common than the general public might assume, with the median age of his customers hovering around 50 years.
B.O.B. Headquarters co-owner Robert Ritchot said that he’s not surprised by the number, but by the honesty of the respondents. Cannabis remains stigmatized to a point where he said he knows of several people in Brandon who order products from the B.O.B. Headquarters website instead of visiting the local retail space.
Echoing this sentiment, Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Rosser) said that he considers the downside of cannabis to have been long since blown out of proportion.
As Brandon’s Housing First co-ordinator, Desjarlais works to help those in the community who are often struggling with addiction. Through this work, he has reached the conclusion that cannabis is among the least destructive drugs that are consumed.
Just about anyone can look into their past for moments of regret —of some stupid thing that they’ve done in their past —and many of them are related to alcohol, he said.
"I don’t recall ever doing something in my early adult life, when I was smoking pot, that I regret or feel sad about," he said. "You forget yourself when you’re drunk, and I don’t think that the very same high happens when you smoke marijuana."
Whether it’s alcohol, crystal meth, cocaine or prescription drug abuse, Desjarlais said there are plenty of things that are more destructive than cannabis, which all merit greater attention.
Even so, he clarified that he doesn’t want to come across as pro-drugs, and said that a "drug-free life is still the best way to live your life."
The most hard-lined opponent to cannabis was Coun. Ron Brown (Richmond), who said that he’s worried about the long-term impacts of recreational cannabis legalization, in that it creates an unsafe situation where people’s reasoning skills are compromised.
"I just think people are going to smoke it, they might even digest it through treats or whatever, and maybe have a beer or combination of the two and be out driving on the roads, and people are going to get killed," he said.
He’s also concerned about the long-term costs associated with cannabis use — a concern that Desjarlais shares.
Although he’s a cannabis proponent, Desjarlais clarified that it isn’t without its pitfalls, in that while it may not kill people as rapidly as other drugs, there are health concerns related to the inhalation of unfiltered smoke.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Majority of elected government officials in Brandon say they have used cannabis - Brandon Sun
Author: Tyler Clarke
Contact: Contact Us - Brandon Sun
Photo Credit: BoulderWeekly
Website: Brandon Sun - Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
Of the 14 elected officials — 11 members of Brandon City Council, two Brandon MLAs and the area’s MP — 11 said they have smoked cannabis and three said they had not.
On whether they intended to inhale cannabis once recreational use becomes legal on July 1, the majority of the elected officials offered greater ambiguity in their answer, with only six respondents offering a clearly defined "no."
One said they likely would, and seven offered uncertainty, with some saying that they "likely" or "probably" would not do so.
Brandon West Progressive Conservative MLA Reg Helwer said that while he did not plan on partaking once recreational cannabis was legalized, he added that he’s also "very encouraged by our government’s approach to ensuring Manitobans have a safe supply should they choose to partake and making sure that Manitobans are safe on the highways."
There’s a greater nuance to many of these answers than a simple "Yes" or "No," with Mayor Rick Chrest clarifying that while he does not foresee cannabis playing a role in his future, he won’t rule out its medicinal properties being of benefit.
"At some point in my life I could have a condition — a disease, an ailment that would benefit," he said. "In that regard I’d be open-minded to it and it wouldn’t be unlike any other medicine prescribed."
All three levels of government were deemed relevant in drafting this poll of local decision-makers, in that the federal Liberals are pushing for the legalization of recreational cannabis, the provincial Tories have been charged with hashing out how it will work in Manitoba, and municipal governments will decide whether they accept cannabis retailers in their jurisdictions.
Of the elected officials who said that they have consumed cannabis in their lifetime, a strong majority were quick to clarify that it was something they haven’t done since their younger days.
Asked to guess how many of the elected officials had admitted to smoking cannabis in their lifetimes, local Growers n’ Smokers head shop owner Rick Macl offered a guess of two.
After a healthy laugh on learning that 11 had admitted to doing so, he said that he was "pleasantly surprised" by the result.
Even so, Macl said that one shouldn’t be too shocked, since cannabis use is much more common than the general public might assume, with the median age of his customers hovering around 50 years.
B.O.B. Headquarters co-owner Robert Ritchot said that he’s not surprised by the number, but by the honesty of the respondents. Cannabis remains stigmatized to a point where he said he knows of several people in Brandon who order products from the B.O.B. Headquarters website instead of visiting the local retail space.
Echoing this sentiment, Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Rosser) said that he considers the downside of cannabis to have been long since blown out of proportion.
As Brandon’s Housing First co-ordinator, Desjarlais works to help those in the community who are often struggling with addiction. Through this work, he has reached the conclusion that cannabis is among the least destructive drugs that are consumed.
Just about anyone can look into their past for moments of regret —of some stupid thing that they’ve done in their past —and many of them are related to alcohol, he said.
"I don’t recall ever doing something in my early adult life, when I was smoking pot, that I regret or feel sad about," he said. "You forget yourself when you’re drunk, and I don’t think that the very same high happens when you smoke marijuana."
Whether it’s alcohol, crystal meth, cocaine or prescription drug abuse, Desjarlais said there are plenty of things that are more destructive than cannabis, which all merit greater attention.
Even so, he clarified that he doesn’t want to come across as pro-drugs, and said that a "drug-free life is still the best way to live your life."
The most hard-lined opponent to cannabis was Coun. Ron Brown (Richmond), who said that he’s worried about the long-term impacts of recreational cannabis legalization, in that it creates an unsafe situation where people’s reasoning skills are compromised.
"I just think people are going to smoke it, they might even digest it through treats or whatever, and maybe have a beer or combination of the two and be out driving on the roads, and people are going to get killed," he said.
He’s also concerned about the long-term costs associated with cannabis use — a concern that Desjarlais shares.
Although he’s a cannabis proponent, Desjarlais clarified that it isn’t without its pitfalls, in that while it may not kill people as rapidly as other drugs, there are health concerns related to the inhalation of unfiltered smoke.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Majority of elected government officials in Brandon say they have used cannabis - Brandon Sun
Author: Tyler Clarke
Contact: Contact Us - Brandon Sun
Photo Credit: BoulderWeekly
Website: Brandon Sun - Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
