Doing marijuana legalization wrong | What's Left
While the Trudeau Liberals have promised to legalize marijuana production and consumption in Canada, its implementation will be incredibly important. If handled properly, marijuana legalization will free the justice system from dealing with a whole class of “criminal”, allow tens-of-thousands of Canadians to safely engage in an activity they already enjoy responsibly, and provide the government with a new source of revenue.
However, the most recent marijuana ballot measure in Ohio shows that, without thoughtful and thorough regulation, the marijuana industry could become a for-profit playground for a handful of mega-corporations. While the Ohio vote failed to pass (and marijuana remains illegal in the state), the initiative would have given exclusive growing and distribution rights to only 10 properties owned by the same investors who funded the campaign.