We must rein in the cannabis industry

The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

In his rush to legalise cannabis for recreational use, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking a huge gamble with public health, says Michael Devillaer. Research shows that legal and regulated drugs – tobacco, alcohol, prescription medicines – cause more harm than illicit drugs, not least because the companies selling them ignore the regulations and block reforms. Look at the epidemic of opioid deaths sweeping North America, a direct result of aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical firms, and laissez-faire government oversight. All signs are it will be the same with the newly legalised cannabis industry. Big suppliers of medical marijuana have already been shown to violate advertising standards, collude with criminals, and knowingly use banned pesticides. Yet none has lost its licence. Now they’re salivating in expectation of even greater profits. So is the government, which seems more keen to maximise its tax share than take measures to prevent harm to health. What’s needed is a non-profit cannabis authority exclusively concerned with health issues, not with expanding the market. If we’re going to change the law, let’s not make matters worse than they already are.