Robert Celt
New Member
It sounds so easy: where something is criminalized that shouldn't be, just amend or repeal the problematic statute. Simple, stroke-of-a-pen stuff, right? Not with the legalization of marijuana, it isn't.
The Trudeau government surprised some — and comforted others — last week by handing the pot file to former Toronto police chief Bill Blair. It will now be up to the rookie Ontario MP to stickhandle a blithely phrased, ill-defined platform commitment through the legislative process.
There is much for him to ponder. Here's a short and by no means exhaustive list of the hurdles: Canada's commitments to international drug interdiction treaties (legalization may run afoul of these), the wishes of the provinces (who control enforcement), public health considerations (like alcohol and tobacco, pot use raises big health and safety issues) and the need for some kind of regulatory and inspection framework.
And if growing and selling marijuana is to become a legitimate industry, what should it look like? In recent days, The Globe has reported politically connected business interests marshalling forces for a lobbying campaign. No surprise: Court judgments on the legality of homegrown medical marijuana have already complicated the lives of companies chasing that market. Should recreational users be allowed the same privilege in the fashion of homemade wine and beer?
One of the main rationales behind legalization is to cripple the black market. Having a government-run retail monopoly — as has been mused about by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and the union representing workers at the Société des alcools du Québec — has a logic to it, but may also backfire. It needs careful study.
The example of tobacco is instructive. When Canadian sin taxes have gone up, the black market has tended to flourish. Early studies in U.S. jurisdictions that have legalized weed and taxed its sale suggest the illegal trade in soft recreational drugs remains robust. On the plus side, tax revenues are exceeding forecasts.
There are compelling reasons to legalize the production and sale of cannabis. Prohibition has been costly, ineffective and counterproductive. Unfortunately, that's not the same thing as saying legalization of pot will be cheap, easy and automatically beneficial.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Trudeau Government Bravely Marches Into The Weeds
Author: Staff
Photo Credit: Adrian Wyld
Website: The Globe and Mail
The Trudeau government surprised some — and comforted others — last week by handing the pot file to former Toronto police chief Bill Blair. It will now be up to the rookie Ontario MP to stickhandle a blithely phrased, ill-defined platform commitment through the legislative process.
There is much for him to ponder. Here's a short and by no means exhaustive list of the hurdles: Canada's commitments to international drug interdiction treaties (legalization may run afoul of these), the wishes of the provinces (who control enforcement), public health considerations (like alcohol and tobacco, pot use raises big health and safety issues) and the need for some kind of regulatory and inspection framework.
And if growing and selling marijuana is to become a legitimate industry, what should it look like? In recent days, The Globe has reported politically connected business interests marshalling forces for a lobbying campaign. No surprise: Court judgments on the legality of homegrown medical marijuana have already complicated the lives of companies chasing that market. Should recreational users be allowed the same privilege in the fashion of homemade wine and beer?
One of the main rationales behind legalization is to cripple the black market. Having a government-run retail monopoly — as has been mused about by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and the union representing workers at the Société des alcools du Québec — has a logic to it, but may also backfire. It needs careful study.
The example of tobacco is instructive. When Canadian sin taxes have gone up, the black market has tended to flourish. Early studies in U.S. jurisdictions that have legalized weed and taxed its sale suggest the illegal trade in soft recreational drugs remains robust. On the plus side, tax revenues are exceeding forecasts.
There are compelling reasons to legalize the production and sale of cannabis. Prohibition has been costly, ineffective and counterproductive. Unfortunately, that's not the same thing as saying legalization of pot will be cheap, easy and automatically beneficial.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Trudeau Government Bravely Marches Into The Weeds
Author: Staff
Photo Credit: Adrian Wyld
Website: The Globe and Mail
