Canada's Marijuana Industry Needs Innovation to Thrive, Not Protection

The Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation did not say, “create a marijuana marketing board.” Yet its recommendations would, if implemented, effectively impose a supply management system on cannabis. Suppliers would be licensed, and subject to production limits. These controls would be set so as to “align supply with likely demand.”

A marijuana marketing board would protect existing producers, and keep prices high. For the Task Force, this was precisely the point. They wanted to encourage “market diversity,” create “a space for smaller-scale production” and prevent “the development of monopolies or large conglomerates.”

The Task Force had good reasons to be concerned about small-scale growers. Producers squeezed out of the legal market might continue to produce and sell illegally, carving out a niche by offering a tax-free product and targeting underserved markets, such as youth and after-hours sales. One of the most important goals on the marijuana legalization agenda...

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