Dave Silberman seems to be well studied and on the right side of the cannabis legalization initiative (see series of opinion pieces in the editions of Jan. 9, 12 and 16). However, one statement is curious.
Mr. Silberman said that in order to ensure sufficient supply regulators “must artificially restrict the number of cultivation licenses.” If this is the case it would seem that the net effect would be to create a legal cartel, in effect putting the state regulators in the position of protecting this legal cartel from competition from “illegal” growers. I thought the objective of legalizing cannabis was to remove the prohibition on growing cannabis, lifting the criminal status of those who grow or use the plant.
Apparently Mr. Silberman has fallen into the pit of monetized thought, where every political decision is relegated to dollars and cents, regardless of the outcome. First we legalize cannabis, but in order to do so we need to reliably make money from this policy, and in so doing we create another population of criminals, those who run afoul of state appointed regulators who “artificially restrict the number of cultivation licenses.” Go figure.
Thomas Vanacore
Bridport