From: Financial Post | Comment
Eric Gagnon, Special to Financial Post
While the federal government moves ahead with the legalization of marijuana, it continues to seek stricter regulation of the tobacco industry by banning menthol cigarettes and introducing plain packaging. These tobacco regulations are an easy political win meant to generate headlines and appease a vocal, well-funded tobacco control lobby, but they do nothing to further reduce smoking rates.
Meanwhile, millions of Canadians purchase marijuana. In fact, most surveys show marijuana use as higher than smoking. According to Health Canada’s own data, the usage rate for marijuana among youth is almost six times that of tobacco, which is remarkable since marijuana is presently illegal. Also, as an illegal product, marijuana is already effectively sold in a plain package.
Marijuana is illegal and sold in a plain package, but youths smoke it more than tobacco
