FELDSTED: They have started down the same path of failure, while making many people needlessly uncomfortable in the process

Legalization of cannabis is one of the worst mistakes made by our current government.

For decades cannabis (marijuana) has been in widespread use from public schools, to the hallowed halls of justice and parliament. Everyone who wanted to experiment knew someone, who knew someone, who could provide access.

Many people, young and old, were introduced to pot in a social setting, asked to ‘try this, you’ll like it’. There is something risqué about doing something prohibited. For most, indulging in pot was occasional and recreational. Others used pot more frequently and some made it a daily habit.

Frequent users, mostly through fear of being caught with an illegal substance on their person, or in their homes, lobbied government to decriminalize low quantities of pot. Others demanded that pot be legalized to serve their personal desires.

During the 2015 federal election campaign, Justin Trudeau announced that if his Liberal Party was elected to govern, he would legalize cannabis. His party was elected, but legalization was not immediate. It took about a year and a half for a legalization Bill to be introduced (April 13, 2017), and Pot was to become legal on July 1, 2018.

All hell broke loose. Every politician at provincial and civic level felt an obligation to exercise control over what was to be a legal drug. There was a huge outcry that we would find drivers high on pot, and that we had to protect the children at all costs.

None of them gave a hoot when cannabis was illegal.

Public school students were using pot and people were driving high. None of them cared enough to admit illegal use was rampant and needed attention. No studied were done on public health and safety risks.

Employers and landlords have jumped on the band wagon and, along with politicians, are creating ridiculous rules for cannabis use. None of them care about our health, safety or well-being; they are drunk on the opportunity to exercise control over others.

They overlook the resilience of criminals and the public. When cannabis was illegal they tried to stamp out its use and failed miserably. Collectively, they decided to look the other way and ignore cannabis use.

They have started down the same path of failure, while making many people needlessly uncomfortable in the process. They are trying to link cannabis control to tobacco control which has failed to stamp out smoking. A hard core of over five million Canadian continue to smoke despite ridiculous prices, and even more ridiculous rules on where they can smoke.

In the meantime, politicians have been ignoring the growing use of highly addictive and potentially deadly synthetic opioids. Combating drug use requires public education, and the education requires sound scientific studies. Faux studies and dire warnings don’t work. Tobacco regulation has proved that.

Next week cannabis, as a result of the passing of Bill C-45 (The Cannabis Act: An Act respecting cannabis and to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other Acts), will be legal in Canada despite no one, at any level of government, understanding its effects on humans.

We don’t even know what levels of use are safe.

We do not know its effects on developing youth.

We can detect levels of cannabis in blood samples but have no means of interpreting what they mean.

We are flying into the unknown, blind and dumb and will, like other jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis, face numerous unintended consequences, none of them positive for our society.

Legalization will not deter the criminal element. All it has done is legitimize investors, growers and producers who are technically criminals at present.

John Feldsted

Political Consultant & Strategist

Winnipeg, Manitoba