How to Ruin Marijuana Legalization: Put Big Alcohol And Tobacco Corporations In Charge (Op-Ed)
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“Both the alcohol and tobacco industries have much more experience opposing sensible regulations than they do recommending them.” By Shaleen Title With new legislation in Congress, Big Tobacco and Big Alcohol’s quiet efforts to put themselves in charge of future federal cannabis policy are coming to a head. The latest legalization bill, introduced by Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), is a clear example of how seemingly well-meaning efforts at reform could backfire and ruin marijuana legalization, handing control of the new industry to massive corporations. The goal of this bill, titled the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult-Use Regulated Environment (PREPARE) Act, is to create a national regulatory framework for cannabis that would be ready as soon as lawmakers are ready to legalize. In theory it’s a great idea to have experts make a plan to implement smart cannabis laws, but under the surface of the 15-page bill lurk two fundamental flaws. The first is the bill’s over-reliance on the comparison between cannabis and alcohol. It directs the attorney general to establish a special commission to help develop a regulatory framework that would be modeled after existing federal and state regulations for alcohol. It would be made up of 24 nominees and representatives from various government agencies and offices, as well as individuals nominated by Senate and House leadership. Why would Congress instruct a commission of experts to create a framework for the cannabis plant just like alcohol? Isn’t the point of such a commission to examine the plant and consider possible frameworks—and related data—to decide what fits? It was perhaps a useful analogy a decade ago to remind people what a regulated substance looks like, but today it’s worth noting that cannabis is not alcohol, or tobacco, or a pharmaceutical, and it should not…

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Source : How to Ruin Marijuana Legalization: Put Big Alcohol And Tobacco Corporations In Charge (Op-Ed)

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