The True North, Stoned and Free.
This above line is the title of an article in today’s Globe and Mail.
Neat, huh? It’s a take on a line from our National Anthem – “The True North, Strong and Free…”
“According to the United Nations' 2007 World Drug Report released last week, Canadians lead the industrialized world in marijuana smoking. Canadians are four times more likely to have smoked pot in the past year than residents of nearly every other country.”
We even beat the Netherlands!
Experts say that our “fondness for weed” reveals something about our national character but their opinions differ in the extreme.
Albert de Goias, director of the Toronto-based Prometheum Institute, thinks, “it's symptomatic of a collective lack of ambition.”
Others say our recreational use is, “merely a side effect of the country's go-getter work ethic.”
“In 2001, Canada became the first country to legalize medical marijuana. In 2003, Jean Chrétien's Liberals tabled a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession, but the legislation died in 2006.
Still, 55 per cent of Canadians believe marijuana should be legal, according to an Angus Reid poll conducted this June.”
The Canuck tendency to smoke pot may be a result of “social liberalism” or simply because, “the illegality of marijuana actually boosts its appeal.”
Whatever….
Gotta sign off, dudes. Haven’t decided whether to slack off today or be a go-getter. Either way, I’ve got the munchies.
24 comments:
That is weird...pot use in Spain is rampant..there are magazines dedicate to it at every kiosk, bumper stickers, you can buy pot scented car air fresheners and insense - though I kinda think they all smell like pot - and you see people smoking it EVERYWHERE....yet we smoke more????Maybe we walk the walk, and they talk the talk....?
I would vote to make it legal here in the US, although I wouldn't smoke it myself.
IMO, it's no worse than drinking, and then maybe law enforcement would spend their time trying to enforce other, more important laws than trying to bust people for possession of a little pot.
oreneta:
Pot scented car air fresheners?? That would be way too much for me.
As for Canadians "walking the walk" - the article did say that perhaps we rated so high on the list because of our honesty.
blogarita:
Thanks for stopping by.
And I agree - too much manpower and $$ are spent going after recreational users.
um...I go for being a slacker, and eating Fritos...
beth:
I'm not wild about Frito breath - but I'll share my Cheesies with you!
LOL, pot use in Austin, TX is out of control!
myutopia:
So, no need to visit Canada - eh?
I think pot use is overrated and that the people who smoke it and go around being stoned all the time will do it no matter what. And those who don't won't. It's like alcohol...why criminalize it?
tish:
I agree - criminalizing recreational use is a waste of taxpayers' money.
Marijuana? What's that then?
Do Hedgehogs use it?
all mod cons:
Everybody uses it in Canada!
Even our hedgehogs.
You should try it!
If the Hedgehogs are having a go, then maybe it's ok!
Is it like toilet roll?
all mod cons:
What the hell???
What are you smoking?? (That's a hint as to what it is...)
What I couldn't believe when I read that article is that Canadians even smoke more pot than Jamaicans. I'd be curious to know how they got their stats...
And personally I'd say that alcohol is actually worse than weed. I'm willing to bet that there are more lives lost due to drunk driving than driving while smoking up (not that one should ever do that). And I'm also willing to bet that there's a lot more violence caused by consuming alcohol than pot.
Some of us Americans think it relates directly to the lack of activities to do in Canada and the fact that Canadians seem to be a peaceful bunch. Additionally, is gaining Canadian citizenship difficult?
Like I've told the inmates, "They should legalize pot. Not for your enjoyment, but for mine."
It makes so much sense to me for it to be legal for medical reasons. It seems criminal not to.
As for me, God know I do not need anything else that gives me the munchies. Just thinking about food gives me the muchies. LOL
Seriously, I would vote to make it legal here, although I don't smoke it. Alcohol seems the same and more addictive.
Still, the article surpised me, how do they measure these things to get the statistics? Just wondering!
patricia:
Re: higher usage than Jamaicans? Exactly what my eldest noted.
sornie:
Perhaps our pot smoking habit is the reason why we're more peaceful!
(Lack of activities???)
jr:
Might have fewer inmates.
(Or are you referring to usage on the job to make the environment more mellow?)
eileen:
Not sure how they came up with the stats.
And, for sure, it should be legal for medicinal purposes everywhere.
ROFL!!! I wondered what that smell was blowing down from the Fraser Valley!
Canucks are STONERS???? Hey, maybe that's why my in-laws moved there.
(BTW ... is it OK for me as an American to call y'all canucks? Or is that like a really bad term? If so, I meant to call you hockey players from Vancouver.)
It's symptomatic of a lot of sh*tty weather.
tracey:
Inhale - deeply.
dorky dad:
"Y'all" can call us Canucks - no offense taken!
diesel:
Could very well be. This July weather sucks.
Sornie - I don't think that high rates of pot use have to do with there being a lack of activities in Canada. My bias would be that the highest usage would be in BC and it seems that there is a lot to do there.
Dorky Dad - I think we call ourselves Canucks too - so there's no negative connotation there.
I don't really know why Canadians smoke so much pot. It seems like the messages we hear here would be different than in other countries. Many politicians, law enforcement officers, etc. have come out to support its decriminalization. Plus, the chances of getting in trouble for smoking pot in public are slim to none (although this may depend on the location). The people most opposed to its legalization are pretty extreme relative to the average Canadian. So it's hard to identify with that perspective.
Maybe we're just looking for more categories where we can lead the industrialized world...kidding.
psychgrad:
Thanks for your input!
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