Canada Goes to Pot

As of yesterday, recreational marijuana is legal across Canada.

What do I think of that?

I'm all for it.

I am, and have always been, a liberal. The individual has the unrestricted right to the pursuit of happiness, and so long as he or she is not disturbing anyone else, the government ought not to have anything to say about it.

It is also a pretty mad idea to make something illegal that tends to grow naturally by the roadside. Any such prohibition is not likely to work, will waste a huge amount of police and court resources, and is only going to encourage distain for law in general.

Like the prohibition on alcohol a century ago, banning marijunana also does nothing in practical terms but finance organized crime. Better to give that money to legitimate farmers and businesses, and take taxes on it.

Not incidentally, legalizing marijuana is also liable to boost Canada's tourism industry, and Canadian retail business in border areas. So long as it is legal in Canada and prohibited in most of the US, Americans are likely to head north for a night out or a weekend excursion, just as folks near the border used to head to the US bars on Sundays, when Ontario bars were closed. Could be a boost for a lot of border towns. Places like Windsor could use it.

This does not mean I advocate marijuana use. That is a separate issue. I think anyone who uses marijuana, unless for medical reasons, is a fool. Just as I think it is foolish to go to a casino; but I don't want to make them illegal either. Or to get drunk. But if other people want to waste their money or their time, or even their brain cells, that is not my business.

And, for that matter, if you are too poor to afford a winter trip to Disneyland, or a cottage, or a ski weekend, should you be denied such small pleasures as a lottery ticket or a beer or a marijuana joint by the self-righteous rich?