Marijuana Regulators: Don’t turn it into a cash cow

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Q: In broad terms, what are the policy goals that should be pursued when setting up the rules for a legal marijuana market?

A: The smartest legalization policy begins with conscious rejection of two widely believed myths, (1) That marijuana use is harmless and (2) That unrestrained corporate control of psychoactive drugs is good for society.  One reason I feel that our Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy contributed to the policy debate is that we took seriously the possible harms of marijuana and of poorly regulated corporate actors in this domain. That’s why we recommended that the new industry not be seen as a “cash cow” either for private companies or for state tax collectors. The way to make the most cash is to aggressively promote use, and that’s not good for public health and well-being.

Q: Two years into the legalization experiments in Colorado and Washington, what are the most important lessons to be drawn by other national or...

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