If the economics cannot be rationally explained to those who have no idea of the matter, it will go nowhere.
I am quite frankly shocked to see a Conservative government even entertaining the notion of commercialization, never mind legalization.
Right now, I suspect that's the angle it will be played along.
IF this grand experiment ever gets rolling properly, and the revenue starts cycling, then we'll see more calls for broadening its scope, due to qualitative restraints.
Ultimately, I envision a similar system to that of Alcohol and Tobacco. I know, I know....groan, taxes, but the fact is, you can make/grow it on your own, for your own. I intend to do that with tobacco next year, because of the taxes.
What we are witness to--in this time--is a roundabout way to get there, which allows Harper's Gang to make some money on it before it collapses down to a median balance between the different business levels and financial interests.
But therein lies the temporary tradeoff; we relinquish some of the personal gains we've made over the last decade, so these people can make some short-term profit on the side through a legislative monopoly (i.e. first pigs at the trough).
In the end, the personal gains will be restored with a healthy, economic infrastructure to accompany it.
This is my optimistic (and possibly naive) version of legalization under the current environment.
Of course, if Emery is going to be involved in the Liberal plan, that could change a lot of things. But not necessarily in the way most would think. He was a staunch, Atlas Shurgged kind-of-guy before he went on his American tour of finer, prison-dining establishments.
I don't know how much his sense of capitalism has changed in the years since.
Anyway, I'm just riffin'...this shit has played around in my head for nearly 25 years. The more I learn, the more I tweak that "ideal". I don't think there really is one since human existence and experience are never static.
)
A world full of stoners. hahahahaha awesome?
