It’s legalization day in Canada, and adult Canadian citizens are now able to possess, purchase and consume cannabis without fear of incarceration, fines or even a slap on the wrist. People are bound to be celebrating with their favorite method of imbibing across the country, and if they want to, they can toke up in a national park to rejoice.
What better way to celebrate the freedom of one of nature’s finest plants than to settle down on a grassy patch, pitch a tent, light a fire and then spark up a nice, legal jay? Though residents will want to pull out their maps and search the internet for regional laws, officials have stated that if it’s okay to consume alcohol at the campsite, weed is cool too.
Parks Canada treats individual campsites like they are the home away from home campers want, said Marie-Helen Brisson.
“Consumption of cannabis will be permitted in campsites,” Brisson continued. “However, consumption of cannabis will not be permitted in common areas within campgrounds such as playgrounds, kitchen shelters, washrooms, trails, parking areas or roads.”
So no fooling around on the swing sets and slides while toking, but feel free to get lifted in your little patch of woods before taking over said playthings – as long as there aren’t any kids already playing or waiting their turn! It may be a day of rejoicing, just be fair and share the toys.
As an example of how municipality rules may affect park rules, consider Banff National Park, which will follow municipal and provincial regulations. “At Parks Canada locations in the Town of the Banff…it would be the same as within the Town of Banff, so smoking or vaping would be prohibited there,” explained Greg Danchuk, manager of visitor experience for Banff National Park. “The rest of the park, outside of the Town of Banff, we’re taking an approach that’s consistent with the province of Alberta.”
If you do go camping overnight, be sure to tamp out the fire before hitting the hay and make certain that all munchies are safely packed away. Though Yogi Bear never got high in his adventures, he sure did love his picnic baskets and the last thing you want as a buzzkill is a massive bear chowing down on the remnants of your celebratory s’mores…
Happy Legalization Day, Canada!
