Let’s be blunt, pot legalization is already a mess

In spite of how cheerily Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seemed when he first stated his party’s intent was not to merely decriminalize cannabis but to legalize it, the federal Liberals have since maintained a sombre and at times morose demeanour when it came to their legalization plan.

I suppose some of this is the natural evolution of politicking on an issue after being informed by policy and polling, but it does strike me as odd that other than that sunny day wearing a purple polo, the prime minister and his party have made it seem as though they were somehow being forced into going forward with the legalization of cannabis.

All of the talking points from the various tweets, statements and pressers have made it clear that the Liberals are doing this to cut out the black market, and to ensure that Canadian kids have a harder time getting their hands on it. In other words, nothing the Liberals have done or said in the last two and a half years have indicated they would be treating the issue of cannabis legalization with anything other than a “think of the children” vantage point.

This was especially clear during the press conference to announce the regime wherein the Liberals making the announcement looked more like they were attending a lecture on how to remove your own intestinal polyps than fulfilling a much-anticipated campaign promise.

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The Liberals were never going to make this about the adult consumer, or about the advocates who have been fighting the absurdity of cannabis prohibition on the front lines. No, this was always about trying to do the bare minimum in order to fulfill a campaign promise. And that is perfectly fine, but we should be honest about it.

Appointing Anne McLellan as chair of the task force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation, making former Toronto top cop Bill Blair the point man on the file, and refusing to consider amnesty for those whose lives have been ruined by a criminal conviction for a substance that poses significantly less of a health risk than tobacco were all indications that the Liberal approach was only going to be welcomed by politically connected and well financed licensed producers and your elderly neighbour, Carol.

But what’s done is done. The Liberals announced their framework this summer and now the remainder of the regime is up to the provinces. Ontario is the first province to officially propose its own plans on how it will regulate the sale and distribution of cannabis.

2:05 Will marijuana be legalized by July 1, 2018?

• Will marijuana be legalized by July 1, 2018?
• Will B.C. follow Ontario’s lead when it comes to distributing marijuana?
• The Breakdown: Ontario plan for legal marijuana leaves many questions unanswered
• Ontario to sell marijuana in 150 government-run stores
• Feds hesitant to approve selling marijuana in liquor stores

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Considering the Ontario Liberals had already mused about the sale and distribution of pot to be controlled by a government monopoly, their announcement of a Cannabis Control Board that will surely fail to put a dent in the black market shouldn’t surprise us, but what is surprising is just how incredibly bad their approach to ending prohibition is.

Wynne’s Liberals could have very easily provided a framework in which the current dispensary operators played a part. This would make sense on multiple fronts. For one, they already physically exist. In Toronto alone there are dozens of dispensaries. The Ontario government is instead proposing an initial rollout of 40 cannabis stores in the first year, increasing to 150 stores by 2020.

Taking into account Ontario’s population of just fewer than 14 million, it’s hard to square having so few options available. Dispensaries are also already staffed with knowledgeable and friendly employees ready and willing to aid consumers on everything from simple queries as to the differences between indica and sativa to more complicated questions like which strains are best for chronic pain management.

What’s most striking in both the federal and Ontario Liberal approach is that for two governments who openly tout their commitment to social justice, they seem awfully intent on maintaining aspects of an inherently unjust system. There is abundant data to demonstrate that those who are saddled with a marijuana conviction are black, brown, and Indigenous. Both the prime minister and Bill Blair have acknowledged that minority communities have been disproportionately targeted by cannabis prohibition, and under Premier Wynne Ontario has seen its first ever anti-racism directorate. That we have political leaders willing to acknowledge wrongs is good, having them actually do something about it is better.

Canada had an opportunity to be a world leader on how to regulate and safely sell cannabis, and Ontario could have been the first province out of the gate with a sensible sale and distribution regime. Instead, both governments seemed to have passed on the chance.

Author’s note: Supriya Dwivedi has provided government relations and strategic communications counsel to both licensed producers and dispensaries.

Supriya Dwivedi is host of The Morning Show on Toronto’s Talk Radio AM640 and a columnist for Global News.