Much depends on pot

News that Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are preparing to table legislation to legalize pot next month have appeared, no doubt uncoincidentally, at a moment when the government’s progressive bona fides are under increasingly vigorous attack.

The government plans to bring in legislation with the aim of legalizing pot by July 1 of next year. This is welcome news. About 70 per cent of Canadians support legalization and the evidence suggests that, if done right, it will do much more good than harm.

Now that the government seems set actually to move on its promise, the challenge will be to get the details right. That is, to write laws that are enforceable, maximize the potential benefits and mitigate the risks.

Early signals are encouraging. It seems the legislation will generally follow the guidelines set out last year by a federal task force chaired by former justice minister Anne McLellan. These are by and large sensible.

That said, legalization does raise real public-health concerns. The government should take seriously the task force’s recommendations to redirect tax money toward public education and research on the drug’s health effects. It should also consider investing more in addiction services for young people.

The Liberal promise to legalize pot was among the party’s earliest appeals to young and progressive voters. More than a year after Trudeau’s election victory, many among this group have grown skeptical. For both country and party, Trudeau would be wise to move quickly on legalization — and to be careful to get it right.

Toronto Star