Reeling Back

The expression “high five” takes on a new meaning as a new item is added to the list of happy hour choices in Canada. Today (October 17), the recreational use of cannabis becomes legal. Because 2018’s Bill C-45 is an act of the federal government, pot possession for personal consumption is now an adult right from sea to sea to sea. This stands in contrast to the United States, where a war on drugs is still being fought by the feds. Of course, not every American state legislature agrees with the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. Though Canada was among the first jurisdictions to legalize medical marijuana (in 2001), nine states have since beat their northern neighbour to full legalization. The pioneers were Colorado and Washington State in 2012. By 2016, Alaska, California and Oregon were among the weed-friendly states. And now B.C. — long famous for its B.C. Bud — provides the final link, turning the Pacific Coast into a solid green line of T tolerance. Nor can we forget the role pop culture has played in the normalization of pot culture. From the movie hipsters of the 1940s and the beatniks to the hippies, life on the edge has included considerable affection for Mary Jane. Cheech and Chong, who met in Vancouver in 1968, built a successful comedy career on their stoner personalities. Because the 1936 classic Reefer Madness is already in the Reeling Back archive, our Doobie Day feature selection is the 1989 counter-culture comedy Rude Awakening.