Seniors can now smoke prescribed marijuana at Holden Lodge
In an effort to attract more seniors to Holden Lodge, Beaver Foundation is allowing residents there to smoke marijuana.
The drug has been considered of benefit to seniors on several levels, both physical and psychological in nature.
Currently, residents can go to the smoking room and smoke prescribed marijuana. But come Oct. 17 when marijuana becomes legal, any resident will be able to smoke it within the confines of the smoking room.
The foundation is touting this as “leading edge approaches to seniors’ wellness,” in an Aug. 30 press release. The foundation has smoking rooms in the lodges of both Holden and Viking, but Holden will be the only lodge that will allow the smoking of marijuana.
The foundation provides housing and care for seniors and low income individuals through the operation of four lodges and five self-contained facilities in the Town of Tofield, Village of Ryley, Village of Holden, and Town of Viking.
The foundation states it is “one of the few management bodies that has retained smoking rooms within two of the lodges it operates.”
Beaver Foundation CAO Owen Ligard admits the move is designed to raise the Holden Lodge’s profile and try to attract more seniors to live there.
“The decision is definitely novel for Albertan communities, but not unprecedented,” he stated.
“Cannabis use among seniors continues to grow and has been linked to major heath benefits.”
The foundation passed a motion earlier this month to approved prescribed cannabis smoking at the Holden Lodge. Ligard said residents there have been allowed to smoke prescribed marijuana since June 26. “Once the legislation legalizes marijuana on Oct. 17, any resident can smoke or vape the marijuana products in the Holden Lodge designated indoor smoke room, with or without a prescription as per current resident smoking policies.”
The motion by foundation board member and county councillor Gene Hrabec, who represents Beaver County, includes the review of the motion in a year’s time.
Another motion by board member and Town of Viking councillor Clint Nearing was passed that would “ban marijuana smoking in the smoking room at Vialta Lodge,” in Viking.
Stated Ligard: “With these motions, it provides options for seniors and other residents in need that require cannabis for health benefits.
“The intent is also to attract new seniors from other municipalities that have created minimal options for seniors to smoke or vape cannabis in their respective regions.”
Two months ago, controversy over closures erupted when Nearing brought a motion forward, unofficially approved by Viking Council, that any lodge going below 50 per cent capacity would be signalled for closure if the resident numbers weren’t brought up within a six month period. Nearing later said he did this mainly to bring attention to the issue, calling it “the elephant in the room.”
The lodge with the lowest capacity numbers was in Holden, but the foundation defeated the motion and said it would not be closing any facilities. Efforts to bring the numbers up at Holden have now included the cannabis including smoking room.
“This decision was created by out of the box discussions by the board to enhance the marketability of Holden Lodge,” said Ligard. “Holden Lodge has been at a disadvantage as Holden lacks the services available in the larger communities for seniors.”
Originally published in the September 5, 2018 edition of The Weekly Review – Never miss an issue, become a Subscriber today!
Patricia Harcourt
Editor
