A growing number of jurisdictions worldwide have recently moved toward some form of cannabis regulation. Moving away from prohibition makes sense, but cannabis legalization has not been without its challenges. One trend in particular gets little attention: the complicity of legal cannabis corporations in the illicit cannabis trade.
The “War on Drugs” has failed. While that statement is absolutely true, it’s also a cheap applause line. Calling out the failures of the war on drugs is easy, and these days doing so generally finds widespread support. But it’s easier to criticize the current failed approach than to develop and implement alternatives.
There’s still a lot we don’t know as to the effects of regulated cannabis. What we do know is that legalization has presented policymakers with five persistent dilemmas. Canada is now embarking on a long-overdue review of its 2018 Cannabis Act, which could add some clarity over how to improve regulatory frameworks moving forward.
