Pubdate: Sat, 14 Nov 2015 Source: Hamilton Spectator (CN ON) Copyright: 2015 The Hamilton Spectator Contact: http://www.thespec.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/181 Author: Lorne Warwick Note: Lorne Warwick is a retired teacher, freelance writer, and a blogger who writes primarily about the Canadian political landscape. Page: A17 Marijuana REEFER RICHES: LEARN FROM OTHERS ON LEGALIZATION Liberal government is on the right track, but caution is needed going forward Ontario residents of a certain age will well remember the days when purchasing alcohol of any kind from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario was a ritual conducted without joy. Far in the future lay what we now take for granted: multitudes of attractively-displayed products from around the world, all eagerly beckoning customers to try new libations, many offering in-store samples, specials, etc. Back in the era when sobriety and moderation were much encouraged, the consumer chose from a printed list of products, filled out an order on a small piece of paper, tendered it to an anonymous clerk behind a barrier who would hand it off to another employee who then disappeared into a stockroom (no displays allowed!) and returned with the purchase in a discreet brown bag. The customer would promptly leave, perhaps feeling a certain unease at having been involved in a transaction that did not seem to be wholly sanctioned by society. It was not an atmosphere that encouraged enthusiastic consumption. My reminiscing was prompted by a documentary I recently watched on CBC called "Reefer Riches," which was made when the chance of a Liberal victory and their promised legalization of marijuana seemed remote at best. I now have little doubt the new government will act upon that promise, and I do think it will serve a greater good, but only if it is handled properly, something the documentary made very clear to me. Justin Trudeau has stated that legalizing pot will be a means of helping keep it out of the hands of kids and reducing the multibillion-dollar black market. Since the war on drugs has been a proven and costly failure, this makes sense. However, the steps taken by American states that have embraced legalization can serve as cautionary tales to help ensure Canadian legislation strikes the right balance between access to and promotion of marijuana. As you will see if you watch the documentary available on the CBC's website (www.cbc.ca/firsthand/episodes/reeferriches), Colorado, one of the states where legalized cannabis use is now almost two years old, appears to be a pothead's paradise. With open displays of plants, tinctures and edibles, daily specials and a growing "pot tourism," the emphasis is clearly on the promotion of consumption. It is a model we would do well to avoid if our purpose truly is to control its use. As one of the speakers in the film points out, Canada can learn a great deal from the mistakes that were made in jurisdictions that have legalized the drug, one being the post-legalization public service announcements about the dangers of smoking and driving, ads that in retrospect should have hit the airwaves far in advance of actual legalization. Another is the cavalier way in which edible marijuana products have been promoted, leading to overdoses. While such incidents are never life-threatening in and of themselves, they do pose some grave risks, especially for children whose parents might carelessly leave a pot-infused cookie or candy bar lying about within easy reach. In my mind, our country would do very well to avoid the open commercialization format shown in the film, and instead adopt a very understated, discrete and perhaps slightly intimidating model similar to what once existed in Ontario: no displays, a product list, and access limited to government-run stores. A bit regressive and Puritanical? Perhaps, but still a model that repudiates prohibition without extolling cannabis consumption. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom