Just wrote this and sent it to Lift....feel free to share it I left out the list because of space, it's posted already or I can post it again.
Legalization – Who Profits from Canada's Green Rush?
Marijuana legalization has become a hot topic of late, with a lot of misinformation, half-truths and out right lies becoming common place from the various players. As a 35 year recreational user and current medical user, I would like to use my experience to inject a little fact and common sense into the discussion.
While Mr. Trudeau's promise of ending prohibition was long overdue, it was met with optimism and excitement, not only in Canada, but around the world. Canadians voted overwhelmingly to elect the Liberals largely based on this promise . Getting rid of the black market to protect the kids sounds like an important goal, as does regulating the age of consumption. People are expecting a sensible system similar to the regulations around alcohol.
Unfortunately, I do not believe that is what the Liberals have planned. The rhetoric and reefer-madness campaign started almost immediately. From marijuana-impaired driving to our kids developing psychosis, from addiction to untested product at the dispensaries being a danger, there has been a campaign to manipulate the public into accepting oppressive and unnecessary restrictions on their access to this plant. Once removed from the CDSA and made legal for adult consumption, cannabis belongs to the same classification group as tobacco. Tobacco kills 47,000 Canadians per year and is available at your corner store. Marijuana deaths = 0
Rather than dismiss the government claims of societal harms surrounding legalization, let's explore them.
Evidence from legal U.S. States indicate there is no significant increase in impaired driving following legalization. Canada has had the highest percentage of marijuana users in the world for many years. We also consume more per person than any other nation. While it is very easy to find pages of statistics on alcohol impaired driving in Canada, no such data exists on drivers impaired by marijuana. I would argue there are millions of Canadian cannabis users on our roads every day that have the common sense to not drive while impaired. This can be attributed to the fact that the effects of marijuana are much milder and last for a short period of time. For the government to suggest that legalization will make our roads less safe, they are attempting to promote fear. Unless the task force has found statistics to support their position, it should be dismissed. On a side note, a July, 2016 article in the National Post (
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadas-drunk-driving-death-rate-worst-among-wealthy-countries-u-s-study-finds) shows Canada has the highest
alcohol-related car crash deaths among wealthy nations.
The claims of medical risks are far-fetched and downright ridiculous in a lot of instances and cannot be backed up with any scientific evidence. As a long term user and someone who has spent my life around other cannabis smokers, I have never had or seen a negative reaction. Agreeably, cannabis should not be used by kids or youth for many reasons. All of those reasons also apply to alcohol. We do not allow minors to buy or consume alcohol, yet there is a liquor store on every corner. Why would a government make buying marijuana more restrictive than alcohol?
There has been a lot of talk of 'marijuana addiction' lately, as well. A quick search reveals marijuana is not on most charts of addictive substances and actually ranks lower than caffeine on the scale. I'm not sure who these people are that are claiming addiction, but it's not something I've ever experienced. There were many times when kids and work curtailed my use, the same with my friends, yet none of us ever suffered from withdrawal. It just doesn't happen.
The big topic has been the 'illegal' dispensaries and the dangers around buying 'untested' marijuana. This claim is laughable on a few levels. Firstly, what exactly are the risks associated with using 'untested' cannabis? I have been buying and smoking untested marijuana since the 1970's and I've never had an issue. Secondly,It is a plant. I've never heard of warnings for 'untested' tobacco or tomatoes, why is cannabis different?
Why would a government who was swept to power on a promise to end marijuana prohibition suddenly change their tone and push for freedom-suppressing restrictions on a substance infinitely safer than alcohol or tobacco? Medical marijuana patients were the guinea pigs and we've had time to understand what is happening.
The licensed marijuana producers (LP's) were formed to supply the medical market and were given exclusive rights to produce at the expense of patients. We fought a two year battle in court to retain the right to grow, throughout which the licensed producers lobbied hard to take away those rights. Fortunately the government failed miserably in their attempts to prove their unsubstantiated allegations of risks from home growing, dealing a financial blow to the LP's. The Liberals answer was instruct doctors to lower the maximum daily amount to reduce the number of plants allowed. There was no consultations are discussion with patients to determine need. Patients that use 30g /day in edibles or oils have been given 3 or 4g /day. What other medication choice and dosage is dictated by Health Canada? The LP's have also been given exclusive rights to sell seeds and clones. Recently there has been an allegation of leaked information and insider trading in relation to the LP stocks.
Why is government trying so hard to ensure maximum profitability of these legal pot growers, to the point of at least the perception of crossing legal boundaries, one might ask. A 20 minute google search a few months back provided answers as I compiled a list of who is going to profit from marijuana legalization. From Chuck Ricci, CFO of the Liberal Party to senators, to former Prime Ministers and Premiers to former high ranking drug cops under Bill Blair, I have no fewer than 25 names of former government and civil servants who hold executive and advisory positions with nearly every LP. I'm sure there are many, many more if one were to dig a little.
All of these people are in a position to use their government connections to ensure LP's continue to get unfair preferential treatment from government at the expense of consumer freedom and lost entrepreneurial opportunities for ordinary Canadians.
As the Liberals move forward with legalization plans, we need to question their motives and demand evidence to support any oppressive restrictions.
Tobacco kills 47,00 Canadians per year, yet Canadian adults are permitted to cultivate, process and consume up to 15 kg/year and it is sold in most stores.
Alcohol continues to be one of the leading causes of disease, domestic violence and death yet there is a retail liquor outlet on seemingly every corner. Adults can produce wine and beer for personal consumption or share with friends.
Marijuana use has no associated deaths, is a safe alternative intoxicant to alcohol and has medicinal benefits, yet the government is poised to bring in the strictest laws around any legal product in existence. Why?
The Trudeau Liberals are pushing for a no home cultivation, mail-order only system that gives exclusive cultivation and distribution rights to the licensed producers. Given estimates of a $5 Billion industry, it's certainly not surprising to see former politicians and senior staff lobbying and clamouring for a piece of the golden pie. What is surprising is that a government that won power with a promise of ending prohibition is instead simply pandering to friends and associates by making them exclusive players in Canada's 'Green Rush'.
Mr. Trudeau issued a statement last week that infuriated the hard working, tax paying voters that put him in his position. He said he was not legalizing cannabis to 'please marijuana users'. We marijuana users have a reply, we didn't vote Liberal to please Justin Trudeau.
Here is a partial list of 'connected' individuals who are set to become even richer with a little help from our elected politicians and at the expense of the average, honest taxpayer. Feel free to do your own search, as I'm sure I've only scraped the surface...
