DOUBLE STANDARD ALERTS!!!

1. "The science indicates that risks from marijuana usage are elevated until the brain fully matures (i.e., when someone reaches about age 25)."

• What does the science indicate about risks from alcohol use on the brain? How do those compare with the risks of cannabis (proper term is not "marijuana") use?

1. "Since marketing, advertising and promotion of marijuana would only serve to “normalize” it in society and encourage and increase usage, it has been proposed that these should be strictly limited so as to dampen widespread use and reduce associated harms. As in the case of tobacco, there may be limitations to possible restrictions on marketing, advertising and promotion of marijuana; however within those limits these restrictions should be as tight as possible. Moreover, other limitations could include products being sold in plain packaging with appropriate health warning messages."

• Why is alcohol exempted from this reasoning? Alcohol, though more dangerous than cannabis, is nevertheless "normalized": widely marketed, advertised, and promoted, in attractive (famous, artistic even!) packaging, without overtly describing the associated health risks? Edmonton's "Brewery District", Toronto's "Distillery District", etc. all trade on the appeal of alcohol. Why should cannabis be treated as less "normal" or more dangerous than alcohol?

1. Taxation

• Cannabis use is, by all metrics, preferable to alcohol or tobacco use. If anything, we should be ENCOURAGING people to consider switching to the less damaging substance.

1. Limits of allowable THC potency in marijuana: "THC is the main psychoactive component of marijuana. Current research shows average THC levels of between 12-15%. In contrast, marijuana from the 1980s had average THC levels of 3%. In addition, various higher potency marijuana products such as "shatter" are available with THC concentrations reaching levels as high as 80-90%."

• Just like the limit for alcohol is 200 proof, the limit for THC potency is 100%. That's irrefutable science. 100% THC cannabis should be as available, and as unpopular, as 200 proof alcohol.

1. "Marijuana can be consumed in many ways, including a wide range of products like foods, candies, salves or creams. Some people may choose these methods of consumption, rather than choosing to smoke dried marijuana. However, certain products present increased risks, notably when considering the increased potency of some of these derivative products and the increased harms associated with their use."

The main risk of smoking cannabis is the inhalation of burnt particulate. Smoking of all kinds, as well as backyard wood fires, etc, should be discouraged as known cancer risks. "Overdose" is a misleading term when discussing cannabis, as excessive cannabis consumption will not lead to death in the way that it regularly does with alcohol. Edible cannabis use, as an alternative to more dangerous forms of recreational drug use like ingesting alcohol or smoking cigarettes, should be ENCOURAGED.

6 Limitations on quantities

• Allowable quantities should be comparably more to those allowed for alcohol consumers or private alcohol producers: ie. a person should be able to purchase or grow comparatively more cannabis than they should be allowed to purchase or distill/brew their own alcohol.

1. Limitation on where CANNABIS can be sold.

• Cannabis should be comparably easier to procure than alcohol, as it has objectively far less real harm to the consumer.

COMMON SENSE RATIONALITY, PLEASE.