Tomorrow marks the end of an era and the start of a new chapter in Canada.
Following decades of flawed social policy that has created more problems than it ever solved, the cannabis prohibition is finally over.
On Wednesday, Oct. 17, the federal government steers our country into new, uncharted waters among peer nations.
By doing so, it will end a broken approach that had largely resulted in nothing more than condemning to prison many non-violent and often hard-working people, along the way tearing apart families, tying up important police resources and wasting obscene sums of taxpayer dollars.
Canada joins a growing list of nations that regulate as well as tax cannabis consumption rather than ban the plant and persecute people who otherwise have no criminal histories to speak of.
This is a more sensible and less detrimental alternative.
Unfortunately, until our neighbours to the south finally decide at the federal level to cease equating cannabis — which has not one single recorded fatal overdose — with deadly substances such as crack, heroin and fentanyl, the road towards reasonable worldwide regulations remains a long one.
Thus, Canadians who consume any cannabis products and occasionally travel to the U.S. are advised to exercise discretion or potentially face being banned from entry.
But at least for now, we can -- from within our own borders -- demonstrate that ending prohibition is the right step forward.
Police, who of course won't abandon pursuing illegal black market operations, will nevertheless hopefully be able to focus more resources on property crime and violent offenders as opposed to wasting their valuable efforts on pacifist hippies who have never raised a hand in anger.
That means the courts in turn will suffer less burdensome backlogs that have left many Canadians understandably frustrated by judicial gears that grind slowly enough as it is.
Meanwhile, the government will tap into a substantial new revenue stream generated by a budding industry that will provide good jobs along with the many subsequent economic spinoffs of gainful employment.
The end of prohibition does not, however, somehow mean that it's party time and everyone should be lighting up.
Ahead of tomorrow's official date the government is reminding Canadians that driving impaired — whether by cannabis, alcohol, or any other drug for that matter — always has been and remains illegal.
Regardless, based on statistics that indicate almost one third of Canadians consume cannabis, and that about two-thirds favour legalizing recreational use, there is every reason to believe that, on average, responsible attitudes will prevail.
Simon Ducatel is the editor of the Sundre Roundup, a sister Mountain View Publishing newspaper.
