It was a day of celebration for many marijuana advocates across the country, and a date long overdue for Guelph business owner and activist Tony Veder.
“It is really ridiculous that I am almost 50 years old and marijuana just became legal in Canada,” said Veder. “Let’s hope we don’t get over regulated after legalization. Isn’t that the real problem? They’re trying to settle an issue that has taken way too long to settle.”
Veder has been a vocal critic of marijuana laws for many years and hopes the new legislation will finally allow him to open a legal dispensary and lounge in his shop on Carden Street.
“This will be a medical vapour lounge until I am able to get a dispensary license on April 1,” he said. “I will be dealing with a number of LPs (legal producers) and purchasing legally grown marijuana to be sold to the general consumer. It will be a total dispensary and hopefully you will be able to vape in the lounge still as well.”
He opened the doors Wednesday to celebrate the new law but reminded guests that no one will be able to smoke joints or traditional pipes inside the lounge.
“Under the Clean Air Act of Ontario you can only smoke marijuana cigarettes or joints where they smoke cigarettes,” said Veder. “It will be that way until the Ontario government allows these kinds of lounges where you can smoke joints – hopefully that will come in time. As technologies advance there will be other forms that produce a less smoke environment.”
A few blocks over at the eBar on Quebec Street a similar celebration was unfolding.
“About a month ago a good friend of mine said this is a pretty significant point in Canadian history so, why don’t you have a celebration,” said Yes We Cannabis Celebration organizer Ben Minett. “It kind of snowballed from there. It’s a celebration of personal freedoms and the destigmatization of marijuana users.”
There was a Jamaican buffet and guests could order a beer or a cocktail but if they wanted a toke they had to join the smokers outside on Quebec Street.
“That’s right and we don’t expect people to have to smoke it if they don’t want to,” said Minett. “One thing throughout history that has been appreciated with people that enjoy partaking is music and food so that is sort of what we are celebrating.”
A number of guests were invited to speak including Guelph mayoral candidate Aggie Mlynarz who had some fun with marijuana nomenclature while touting the economic opportunities legalization could bring to the community.
“I have said from day one that we need to opt in,” said Mlynarz. “We need to take hold of private sales and we need to ensure that local businesses get the first bid on doing so.
So, let me blunt. I did not prepare a speech tonight so I am just rolling with it. Thank you so much and I am going to say that 10 – 17 blaze it!”
Marijuana Party activist Kornelis “Kase” Klevering reminded people that contrary to perceptions the end of marijuana prohibition hasn’t actually taken place.
“What has taken place is that the government has decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana,” said Klevering. “It’s progress but I have mixed feelings about this whole thing.”
He said under the new Cannabis Act the number of offences has risen from eight to 25.
“For small amounts of marijuana – 30 grams or less – people will not be charged or put in jail like before but that is where it stops,” he said. “It’s really not legal over 30 grams and you can still face up to 14 years if you’re caught growing it or distributing it without a licence.”