Pubdate: Mon, 17 Oct 2016
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2016 Postmedia Network
Contact:  http://www.calgaryherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: Anna Brooks
Page: A5

MARIJUANA PROPONENTS FEAR STIGMA WILL LAST YEARS AFTER LEGALIZATION

The federal government may be moving toward legalizing marijuana
within the next couple of years, but supporters of the move fear the
stigma associated with cannabis use will not fade so quickly.

"I think because the stereotype of the stoner has been allowed to stay
around, that's what people expect," said Chrystal Vondran, whose
husband uses medical marijuana.

"Things will change over time, but I think it will take around five or
10 years."

Vondran was one of hundreds of Calgarians who attended the city's
first HempFest Cannabis Expo at the Big Four Building on Saturday.
There were stands laden with pipes and bongs, psychedelic clothing,
organic soils and quick-grow LED lights.

But there were also licensed producers, dispensaries and
representatives of medical clinics in attendance.

The Trudeau government announced April 20 that it would introduce new
legislation in the spring of 2017, establishing a nine-member task
force to gather input from provincial and municipal governments,
indigenous people, and health and addiction experts. The panel is
expected to report back to the government in November.

But despite the federal government's intentions - and the large
turnout at Saturday's event - few attendees were willing to openly
discuss their reasons for going.

Two oil and gas employees spoke to Postmedia, but would only do so
anonymously for fear of their workplace finding out. This was the case
for many other attendees approached for an interview.

"It's funny, everybody's 'cool' with it, but they're really not," one
employee said. "I personally know a lot of people at my company who
use it, but nobody talks about it."

Chrystal Vondran's husband, Eric, has been a medical cannabis user for
eight years. She said there's only one reason cannabis users are
afraid to speak out. "There's a lot of stigma," he said. "People are
in need of a lot of education on the subject - I think it's just more
comfortable not to talk about it."

Alison McMahon is the chairwoman and founder of Women Grow in
Edmonton, one of five chapters of a North America-wide organization
educating and empowering women in the cannabis industry.

McMahon has experienced her own difficulties with cannabis stigma. She
said that's part of the reason events such as HempFest are so
important for the public.

"We can't even find cannabis patients willing to go on camera because
they're afraid of being outed," McMahon explained. "We've been told by
our institutions, our parents, our churches that it's wrong, but it's
not. It's all about challenging our own stereotypes."

Many booths featured cannabis experts explaining the medical uses of
marijuana and its successes in treating things such as nausea, chronic
pain and insomnia.

Peter and Sacha Hockenhull, the visionaries behind HempFest, said the
show wasn't just about showcasing products, but educating Calgarians
about marijuana and its many uses.

"A lot of the show has to do with medicine," Peter Hockenhull
explained.

"Smoking weed doesn't mean everyone's a deadbeat - there are
successful people who smoke weed who are members of society just like
everybody else."
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MAP posted-by: Matt