British Columbia is evaluating the possibility of allowing the consumption of cannabis in public places to meet demand, help businesses and promote legal purchase.
Smoking Weed in Spas?
The government is asking British Columbians for their opinion on the matter in a poll that will be online until May 8.
In a document that outlines the options being considered and their pros and cons, the province describes a public marijuana use space as a business or event that could sell and allow the use of marijuana.
The province sets the example for cafes, cocktail lounges, concerts, festivals and spas.
Consumption could in particular be permitted in a delimited space in the open air during a festival or even during a guided tour of a plantation or a cannabis product manufacturing company that would offer samples.
Many Cannabis Sales Still Made on Black Market
The province hopes to encourage the legal purchase of cannabis. According to Statistics Canada, in 2020, 55% of recreational cannabis purchases in British Columbia were still made on the black market.
“We have heard from cannabis businesses that consumption spaces could provide an opportunity for the sector to become more economically viable and could better meet the interests of people who use cannabis,”, says BC Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth.
Among the negative effects cited in the province's report are the impact on health, the number of people who use cannabis, impaired driving and the combined use of cannabis and alcohol.
Smoking Marijuana Still Prohibited Indoors
If public consumption spaces are permitted, the province specifies that these must meet provincial health and safety objectives. Smoking or vaping would therefore still be prohibited in an indoor space.
Recreational cannabis has been legal in British Columbia since October 2018.
As of December 2021, there were 426 licensed stores selling marijuana in British Columbia, which generated $554 million in sales.
