I'm not sure it is fair, sir. They would argue that their regulation is very strong. They would argue that they went through years...and made sure that what they did was as careful as it could be.
The problem is that when you increase access and availability, when you legalize something, that is sending a signal to young people that the harmfulness has been reduced. Both Canadian and American youth right now, in a legal or illegal context, from looking at celebrities and others who may use and publicly talk about their use, are getting the impression that this is something that is okay and is acceptable.
Let's be clear. Most people who use cannabis are not going to go on to a disorder. I should have said that in the beginning. Most people who use will stop after using it one to five times and will not become addicted. They won't crash their car, etc. The problem is the small proportion of overall users who consume most of the substance. That small proportion grows, I think, under a policy that has legalized and increased its acceptance through some kind of “regulation”.
Again, as Mr. Perron said, alcohol and tobacco are good examples. Whatever good intentions they've had with regulation in Colorado, which is the only place they've started, the results so far are not good.