Sen. Unger’s got it wrong on marijuana legalization

Re: “Marijuana legislation will not achieve its objectives and should be defeated,” (The Hill Times, Dec. 20, online). Senator Betty Unger’s op-ed against Bill C-45 is false and deceptive. Unger claims that Colorado now leads the United States in cannabis use amongst 12- to 17-year-olds. In February 2017, the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics (JAMA Pediatrics) published a paper on the change in prevalence of adolescent cannabis use in Colorado following legalization. Its conclusion: there was no change. In a U.S. federal survey comparing adolescent use of cannabis in 2013-14 and 2015-16, reported use actually dropped sharply. Next, Unger posits that youth usage in states that have legalized marijuana surpasses those that have not. Self-reported drug usage during prohibition is an age-old validity issue for researchers of drug policy, however, to Unger, legalization causes increased usage because teens perceive the risk of cannabis to be “safe and state-sanctioned.” No one is calling cannabis “safe”—no safer than alcohol, cigarettes, and prescription drugs, anyways, in spite of the fact that there has yet to be a single fatality in North America for which cannabis overdose is to blame. Clinical trials are key. Continuing to prohibit medical research on cannabis is to repeat costly failures like “Just say no!” or the debunked Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.). Unger moves on to declare that the eradication of illicit cannabis markets is an all-or-none affair. Experts disagree. First of all, cannabis is now being produced that meets or exceeds current good manufacturing practices, is accompanied by a lab analysis for every lot produced, and is compliant with federal regulations for quality and safety. This is infinitely better than the unregulated, untested, and hazardous product from which organized crime profits. Secondly, cannabis is not a gateway drug. Dealers push more dangerous product. Legalization disrupts dealers. Those who disagree lack insight into market economics, public safety, and harm-reduction strategies. Where Unger is correct is that if tariffs are applied to cannabis in usual form (in other words, to punish the purchaser while paying tax to the public) the black market will persist and flourish through more competitive pricing. Unger also raises a valid point regarding homegrown production. Bill C-45 reintroduces the opportunity for personal cultivation but without any reporting requirements, whatsoever, and the number of plants is generous. The incentive for product diversion will be so great for personal growers that it could be deemed entrapment, but a solution would be to require personal growers to submit biannual product yields. The aggregate data would provide important information on total annual personal production; outliers would give Health Canada a starting place for audits. An appointed Senator would be wise to note that it is generally not the role or practice of the Upper House to reject a bill from the House of Commons, particularly one that is so evidence-based and has such overwhelming support from Canadians. Bryan Sandilands Edmonton, Alta. (The author is a health care consultant including to licensed cannabis producers and applicants.)

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Sen. Unger’s got it wrong on marijuana legalization

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