Pubdate: Wed, 14 Dec 2016
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2016 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Page: A12
Referenced: http://mapinc.org/url/spC7LQBu

THE HAZY PATH TO LEGALIZATION

When the Trudeau government vowed to legalize the consumption of
marijuana, there may have been those who believed the process would be
straightforward. The final report of the Task Force on Cannabis
Legalization and Regulation proves it will be anything but.

Here are just a few samples of the task force's slightly
hallucinogenic recommendations:

The minimum age for cannabis consumption should be 18, even though
science says young-adult brains are still developing at that age and
can be damaged by excessive pot-smoking. The government must therefore
also encourage people to refrain from using legal pot until they are
25, when their brains are fully formed. Which will be tough, because
by far the biggest cohort of pot users are people aged 18-25.

Any taxation or regulation aimed at encouraging people to put off
consumption until 25 must be weighed against the possibility of making
the legal product too expensive or difficult to buy, which would
encourage illicit sales.

In fact, the "paramount" objective of keeping "cannabis out of the
hands of children and youth and profits out of the hands of organized
crime" will only succeed if the legal stuff is priced at a magical
number that is somehow low enough drive away criminals but high enough
to drive away 18-year-olds.

Every regulation the government imposes on cannabis products must be
based on science and fact, but "cannabis policy, in its many
dimensions, lacks comprehensive, high-quality research."

People should be able to grow cannabis in their homes for personal
consumption, but only if they limit themselves to four plants that are
under one metre in height, and if they have proper security measures
in place and don't use "dangerous" growing methods.

Basically, the task force says the government should make pot more
available, at a competitive price, but without increasing consumption.
For health reasons, Ottawa must limit the consumption of the biggest
cohort of users, 18- to 25-year-olds, while making it their legal
right to consume as much as they want. Oh, and the government should
police the height of houseplants.

Screw it up, and Canada gets increased pot use, damaged brains, a
thriving illicit market and annoying semi-legal grow-ops on every
block. No pressure, Ottawa.
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MAP posted-by: Matt