Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I listened very carefully to each of your presentations, which were very interesting, particularly because of their varied perspectives.
For the benefit of our fellow Canadians, I am truly interested in protecting our young people and our future. I was jotting down a few notes and I was thinking that a head-in-the-sand policy is not a solution.
Right now, we have studies and statistics. Despite the dearth of data, they show that young people use marijuana. Nothing is being done with respect to young people's current use. That's troubling. Nothing has been done in years; this sort of problem has not been addressed. We are picking up the pace because there's an urgency. It is not because we want marijuana to be legal, but because there is an urgency in addressing the situation of our young people. If we do nothing, we'll continue to have the same sort of results.
So I would like to hear what Ms. Weeks, from Washington, and Mr. Freedman have to say. What was your first motivation for legalization? What were the related challenges? Nothing is done easily or overnight. However, challenges come with solutions and solutions come with challenges.
I would have liked to hear you talk about the motivations and the ensuing solutions. You touched on it in the beginning. Please be brief, because I have only seven minutes and I have other questions for you afterwards.
Mr. Freedman, you may start.