THE federal government is set on legalizing marijuana by summer 2018. While the Liberals will enjoy the political payoff of appearing progressive, all the problems and the logistics of legalizing pot will fall on the shoulders of the provincial governments. There are strong correlations between how a drug or an indulgence, such as gambling, is made available to the public and the propensity for individuals to indulge in it, and the negative health and social outcomes associated with its use. In other words, it matters how we legalize marijuana, not just that we legalize it. [continues 646 words]
While Trudeau gov't will look progressive, the provinces will do the heavy lifting The federal government is set on legalizing marijuana by summer 2018. While they will enjoy the political payoff of appearing progressive, all the problems and the logistics of legalizing pot will fall on the shoulders of the provincial governments. There are strong correlations between how a drug or an indulgence, such as gambling, is made available to the public and the propensity for individuals to indulge in it, and the negative health and social outcomes associated with its use. [continues 610 words]
Ottawa will enjoy political payoff but all problems and logistics will fall on provinces The federal government is set on legalizing marijuana by summer 2018. While they will enjoy the political payoff of appearing progressive, all the problems and the logistics of legalizing pot will fall on the shoulders of the provincial governments. There are strong correlations between how a drug or an indulgence, such as gambling, is made available to the public and the propensity for individuals to indulge in it, and the negative health and social outcomes associated with its use. [continues 609 words]
The Trudeau government is set on legalizing marijuana by next summer. While they will enjoy the political payoff of appearing progressive on the issue, all of the problems and logistics of legalizing pot will fall on the provinces. There are strong correlations between how a drug or an indulgence like gambling is made available to the public and the propensity for individuals to indulge in it, and the negative health and social outcomes associated with its use. Provincial governments might want to draw lessons from the last time an illegal substance was legalized - alcohol - following prohibition in the late 1920s, as well as insights from the current public health efforts to eliminate tobacco use. For starters, it might make sense to make acquiring recreational marijuana reasonably expensive and somewhat difficult. [continues 584 words]
THE Trudeau government is set on legalizing marijuana by the summer of 2018. While they will enjoy the political payoff of appearing progressive on this matter, all of the associated problems and the logistics of doing so will fall on the shoulders of the provincial governments and their civic counterparts. I suggest the Manitoba provincial government draw lessons from the last time an illegal substance was legalized following Prohibition in the late 1920s, as well as from the current public health efforts to eliminate tobacco use in Canada as a means to guide their policy on marijuana. [continues 927 words]
