Pubdate: Wed, 13 Dec 2017 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2017 The Toronto Star Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456 Author: Guy Bowie Page: A16 NEW POT LAW WILL FAIL IN ITS OBJECTIVES Re Legal pot set to cost $10 a gram, Dec. 12 It is clear that the legalization of marijuana will fail its stated objectives and we are on track for another costly boondoggle that will implicate the health and well-being of Canadian society for many years to come. The stated objectives are to keep cannabis out of the hands of children and to keep profits out of the hands of organized crime. Legalization will achieve neither. Legalizing something legitimizes it. Children will now see marijuana as a safe legal product denied to them only due to their age. Organized crime will continue to thrive. Government-controlled growers and distributors, burdened with regulations, will be unable to compete. Most Canadians were comfortable with decriminalizing marijuana. No one wants to see young people get felony convictions for simple possession. Instead, we are now faced with a costly bureaucracy and government machine churning away while some people get rich and our society is left with managing the negative aspects of another potential social problem. Guy Bowie, Toronto - --- MAP posted-by: Matt