Pubdate: Tue, 02 Feb 2016
Source: Link, The (CN QU Edu)
Copyright: 2016 The Link
Contact:  http://www.thelinknewspaper.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2694
Author: Gonzo Nieto

RULES TO ROLL BY

A Speculative Look at a Canadian Cannabis Policy

With a federal government elected on a platform of legalizing
cannabis, Canada stands to set an example on the international stage
by being the first G7 country to fully regulate the production, sale
and possession of a plant that has been at the heart of so much
controversy-frankly, it's about time.

That a government could get elected with this mandate is cause for
hope and cautious celebration, but many questions remain open, and the
way our policymakers navigate them will determine whether we set an
example for other countries to follow, or if we botch the whole thing.

With this in mind, let's review some critical pieces of the debate to
tease out what a sensible cannabis policy might look like.

Who should be able to buy cannabis?

It's interesting to consider the Canadian Senate, in their "Cannabis: 
Our Position for a Canadian Public Policy" report released in 2002, 
provided a number of reasons why anyone 16 and over should be able to 
buy pot.

If that's too radical a proposition, we already have an established
age of majority in each province, and that's not a bad place to start.

Who should be able to grow cannabis?

I think that anyone should be able to grow their own. Consider that
people can already make their own alcohol with a license, and adults
can grow up to 15 kg of tobacco per year, which is equivalent to two
packs of cigarettes a day.

If we make these allowances for alcohol and tobacco, it only makes
sense that people should be able to grow their own cannabis plants,
too.

How much will it cost and how much will it be taxed?

A central reason for legalization is to regulate what has been an
unregulated black market circulating billions of dollars, with much of
that going towards organized crime. In order to succeed in this
regard, a regulated market must be able to consistently compete with
the existing black market, and must also provide regulations by which
illegal producers can become legal producers.

Keeping in mind that cannabis is far safer-as published in a report by
the National Institutes of Health in 2015-and results in far less
public health costs than alcohol and tobacco, taxes on cannabis should
also be far lower than those on alcohol and tobacco.

If legal pot is over-taxed and over-regulated, we are virtually
ensuring that the black market for cannabis will continue to exist.

Why has Canada not yet decriminalized cannabis, at the very least for
possession?

Given the Trudeau government's plan to legalize cannabis, it seems
absurd that people are still being arrested and sentenced for cannabis
possession.

A key policy decision should be to pardon the sentences of anyone
serving time for non-violent cannabis crimes, and also to create a
streamlined process by which folks with non-violent cannabis crimes on
their criminal record can have them removed.

If we are recognizing that there is nothing criminal about the
production, sale and possession of cannabis, it stands to reason that
we would create a way to absolve those who have been targeted by law
enforcement for having done so in the past, especially considering the
serious and long-lasting effects of having a criminal record on one's
life.

What about the effects of cannabis legalization on youth and college
students?

Precedents of cannabis regulation in other countries have shown that
use among youth hardly increases as a result of regulation. But a
significantly positive effect will be that millions of pot-smoking
Canadians, youth and adults alike, will be able to freely enjoy their
drug of choice without the societal implication that they are
criminals for doing so.

College campuses across Canada will finally have a legal alternative
to alcohol when organizing parties and events on campus. I, for one,
would much rather attend a frosh or a social event where I can
purchase a joint for $5 and share it with a few friends.
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MAP posted-by: Matt