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Coun. Shane Keating said he agreed with the majority view on that question.

“It’s not like tobacco and those who want to treat it like tobacco are probably the ones who want to smoke it anywhere,” Keating said. “It’s not a cigarette, it’s a drug, and therefore it has to be treated as a drug. That means no participating in them in public in any way, shape or form.”

Keating added that the odour of pot differentiates it from an ordinary cigarette, and should be kept away from public spaces so that others wouldn’t have to deal with the “rather bad smell.”

Nearly 80 per cent of those who took part in the study indicated a private backyard was an acceptable place to smoke pot and close to three-quarters said the same for a front porch. Just 45 per cent agreed an outdoor concert would be an acceptable location, while one-fifth were in favour of restaurant patios being used to use marijuana.

“If we’re going to be fair and find a happy medium, there has to be some way in which it’s structured so that it’s able to be used in public, but it has to be used in the exact same essence as alcohol, only in certain places,” Keating said. “There’s places you could probably go, the same as we have a lounge where you could go and have a drink. This one would have to be automatically set up as for marijuana use.”

The study’s findings divided Calgarians into four camps when it comes to their views on cannabis. Close to half (48 per cent) are “tolerant” of the upcoming legalization, a group that includes some users and is in favour of moderate retail and consumption restrictions. About 13 per cent are “cannabis champions,” those who regularly smoke pot, have a high rate of support for legalization and want minimal restrictions.