Pubdate: Thu, 14 Sep 2017
Source: Woolwich Observer (CN ON)
Copyright: 2017 Woolwich Observer
Contact:  http://www.woolwichobserver.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1867
Page: 6

MARIJUANA PLANS PAINT WYNNE AS OPPORTUNISTIC

TELLING IT LIKE IT is, the Ontario government's plans for dealing with
legalized marijuana are nothing short of a cash grab, coupled with
some pandering to the public sector unions Kathleen Wynne hopes will
win her votes among a group responsible for acting against the public
interest.

Never mind talk about preventing kids from getting weed - that will
continue as it always has - the decision to have the LCBO oversee
sales is purely about Queen's Park cashing in on the federal
government's dubious look-how-hip-we-are policies.

The province plans to roll out 40 standalone LCBO-like stores next
year when the feds legalize marijuana as of July 1. More will follow,
to 150 by 2020. Some kind of Marijuana Control Board of Ontario will
see to it that overpriced products are sold by unionized government
workers in bricks-and-mortar locations financed by taxpayers.

Having worked to corner the market on booze and gambling - promoting
both incessantly to increase much-needed revenue given its fiscal
incompetence - why would the province do anything but opt for a
cashier cash cow?

Critics have already pointed out that attempts to limit supply - few
locations, high prices - will likely serve only to increase black
market sales, as there is already a well-established network in place.

Platitudes about stopping organized crime aside, the established
supply and the relative ease of growing/ sourcing weed in small
quantities are likely to test Wynne's desire to corner the market on
another vice.

Drawing on its treatment of cigarette sales, the province aims for
plain packaging and clinical handling of the product. Tobacco is sold
through multiple private businesses. Governments love the tax
revenues, but don't have a direct stake in the business. Thus we see
anti-smoking ads. Contrast that to the promotional efforts for liquor
and gambling, the sins owned by the province.

The current plan might hark back to the earlier days of liquor sales -
uninviting locations, furtive orders on slips of paper, backroom
stashes - but how long do you think it will be before we start seeing
lifestyle ads and glossy magazines? It took decades to get liquor laws
out of the stone age and, perhaps, to the bronze age we have today -
too many rules, too many taxes, too little convenience - but a
profligate government desperate for money may look to speed things
up.

Where you stand on the legalization issue in general would colour your
stance on such an outcome, but chances are the province will latch on
to the money and do whatever it can to generate more.

That's the reality of a situation in which we have a government - like
most - that insists on spending without accountability, including to
future taxpayers. Wynne, in particular, is intent on funnelling
billions of public dollars into Liberal re-election schemes, from
outright fraud to buying off the public sector, moves that run
contrary to the public good in almost every case and to the law in
some - see advances in the gas plant and Sudbury byelection scandals,
two clear instances of a government putting its own fortunes ahead of
what's right.

We can expect no better from this latest foray into money-grabbing,
election-rigging territory.
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MAP posted-by: Matt