The writing is on the wall for regulation, and while medicinal cannabis might be the the thin edge of the wedge, it will be the potential billions of Euros in tax and the jobs that the industry will create that will lure the government towards a regulated market.
In fact, I would bet good money that the majority of those in the government are already looking at the positives of a regulated market and really the biggest obstacle now is arriving at a place where they aren’t seeming to be promoting drug use, or at least where they can justify regulation to their base.
Prohibition and criminalisation of drug use has been an abject failure by any metric.
Drugs are more prevalent, varied and available than any time since the “war on drugs” began.
Criminals have been empowered by having access to a multi billion dollar/euro/pound black market revenue stream.
Competition for control of which has led to escalations in violent organised crime groups across the world.
Society then picks up the tab several times over by spending resources on failed policing policies, mitigating against these violent actors. Not to mention the opportunity cost of what those policing and judicial resources could have been put to work for instead.
Society loses out on the potential tax revenue from this multi billion dollar/euro/pound industry.
Consumers of drugs have no guarantee of quality or safety of what they are taking.
People with drug problems are stigmatised and dissuaded from interacting with state bodies and organisations as they fear criminalisation.
By every measure the policies of the last 50 years have not only failed in their stated aims, but have actively worsened them.
Legalise, tax, regulate this black market and treat people with addiction issues as medical patients instead of criminals.
-Well Head how are you doing
-Howya Mac
-Well head I was talking to George Smitherman, President and CEO of the Cannabis Council of Canada, last week at a conference in Zurich and he was telling me
5 comments
He loves a portmanteau that guy
[deleted]
The writing is on the wall for regulation, and while medicinal cannabis might be the the thin edge of the wedge, it will be the potential billions of Euros in tax and the jobs that the industry will create that will lure the government towards a regulated market.
In fact, I would bet good money that the majority of those in the government are already looking at the positives of a regulated market and really the biggest obstacle now is arriving at a place where they aren’t seeming to be promoting drug use, or at least where they can justify regulation to their base.
[https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/cannabis-next-big-thing-says-john-teeling-the-man-who-revived-irish-whiskey-37862199.html](https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/cannabis-next-big-thing-says-john-teeling-the-man-who-revived-irish-whiskey-37862199.html)
[https://www.irishtimes.com/business/health-pharma/canadian-cannabis-giant-lobbies-state-to-supply-irish-medical-market-1.3860236](https://www.irishtimes.com/business/health-pharma/canadian-cannabis-giant-lobbies-state-to-supply-irish-medical-market-1.3860236)
[https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/ourview/arid-40910897.html](https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/ourview/arid-40910897.html)
[https://www.businesspost.ie/news/cowen-back-on-board-of-canadian-cannabis-and-cryptocurrency-firm/](https://www.businesspost.ie/news/cowen-back-on-board-of-canadian-cannabis-and-cryptocurrency-firm/)
[https://www.businesspost.ie/analysis-opinion/elaine-byrne-anti-cannabis-group-has-its-say-but-minister-needs-to-listen-to-the-other-side/](https://www.businesspost.ie/analysis-opinion/elaine-byrne-anti-cannabis-group-has-its-say-but-minister-needs-to-listen-to-the-other-side/)
[https://www.businesspost.ie/analysis-opinion/elaine-byrne-we-need-an-honest-debate-on-whether-banning-cannabis-is-more-harmful-than-legalising-i/](https://www.businesspost.ie/analysis-opinion/elaine-byrne-we-need-an-honest-debate-on-whether-banning-cannabis-is-more-harmful-than-legalising-i/)
Prohibition and criminalisation of drug use has been an abject failure by any metric.
Drugs are more prevalent, varied and available than any time since the “war on drugs” began.
Criminals have been empowered by having access to a multi billion dollar/euro/pound black market revenue stream.
Competition for control of which has led to escalations in violent organised crime groups across the world.
Society then picks up the tab several times over by spending resources on failed policing policies, mitigating against these violent actors. Not to mention the opportunity cost of what those policing and judicial resources could have been put to work for instead.
Society loses out on the potential tax revenue from this multi billion dollar/euro/pound industry.
Consumers of drugs have no guarantee of quality or safety of what they are taking.
People with drug problems are stigmatised and dissuaded from interacting with state bodies and organisations as they fear criminalisation.
By every measure the policies of the last 50 years have not only failed in their stated aims, but have actively worsened them.
Legalise, tax, regulate this black market and treat people with addiction issues as medical patients instead of criminals.
-Well Head how are you doing
-Howya Mac
-Well head I was talking to George Smitherman, President and CEO of the Cannabis Council of Canada, last week at a conference in Zurich and he was telling me