City administrators in Calgary are recommending councillors adopt a ban on public consumption of cannabis when pot becomes legal later this year.

A report that is to be debated this week says a new bylaw should restrict all forms of cannabis consumption in public places, or in areas where the public has consent to enter.

Exceptions would be made for people with medical marijuana licences, as well as for festivals where people could consume cannabis in areas similar to beer gardens.

鈥淭he effects of cannabis on a person can vary depending on the individual and the strain and potency of the cannabis being consumed,鈥� says a document that explains the reason for the recommendation.

鈥淔or many it can have relaxing, positive effects, but it can also alter one鈥檚 state of consciousness and induce anxiety and panic attacks.鈥�

The idea isn鈥檛 being welcomed by Keith Fagin of the cannabis advocacy group Calgary420. He says cannabis users deserve somewhere public where they can gather to smoke, vape or eat the drug.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just not something that鈥檚 going to be a public safety issue whatsoever,鈥� he says.

The city report says the recommendation follows public consultation, including telephone surveys which found a majority of Calgarians would prefer cannabis consumption rules to mirror those for drinking alcohol in public places.

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Fagin says he鈥檚 not surprised.

鈥淲e鈥檙e called the Texas of the North and for good reason. We鈥檙e super-strongly conservative here and 鈥� we鈥檙e more hard-nosed and hard-headed about things like that.鈥�

Lawyer and marijuana advocate Kirk Tousaw says the proposed exemption for medical consumption is key to whether a public ban would be legal. But he disputes that rules for cannabis consumption need to be the same as those for booze.

鈥淲hat you鈥檙e not going to see with public cannabis consumption are some of the real public nuisances that you see with public alcohol consumption, which is people passed out, people vomiting on the streets, people urinating on the streets because they鈥檝e lost any inhibitions and are too hammered to care,鈥� said Tousaw, speaking from Duncan, B.C.

鈥淐annabis doesn鈥檛 tend to do that. If anything, it sometimes makes you a little more introverted because of the potential anxiety-producing effects of THC.鈥�

Earlier this month, the Montreal suburb of Hampstead adopted a bylaw that bans all smoking in public places. It prohibits tobacco and marijuana on municipal property, including sidewalks and streets.

The bylaw does not prohibit electronic cigarettes

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Fagin says if condo and apartment buildings also ban smoking and vaping cannabis, that could mean users wouldn鈥檛 be able to step outside for a puff. Edibles would be an option when they become legal later, he suggests, but they take time to work and have different effects.

The odour from vaping cannabis is much less noticeable than cigarette smoke, says Fagin, who feels users and non-users should still be able to get along.

鈥淚f you are a cannabis consumer or considering consuming cannabis, be a responsible adult about it and not go out in public and blow smoke in people鈥檚 faces.鈥�

The Canadian Press

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