Between now and May 5, of this year, NORML Canada, CSSDP, and a host of other marijuana supporters and organizations will be touring across Canada hosting panel discussions on four key pillars of the Marijuana Legalization debate.

Economics

More than any other time in history, the need to reassess the economic implications of prohibition is imminent. The amount of money spent on enforcement, incarceration, and border patrol is immense, while marijuana, worth more by weight than gold, remains one of the largest untapped industries.

Policy

The regulation of marijuana is expensive and challenging. It is easy to grow, and grow-ops can start anywhere. And because there is a fantastic amount of demand that stimulates the birth of these operations enforcement is always behind the curve, but still the only option-in-sight for policy makers seems to be enacting stricter and stricter penalties to keep demand under control.

Medicine

Prohibition affects more than just those who need medical cannabis. But one of the sillier implications of prohibition and the stigma it enforces is that even Canadians who require treatment have little or no legal access to its medicinal benefits. The federal government produces only one strand, and one level of quality, while more is easily possible. Compassion clubs have popped up in several major cities, offering different strands for people with different conditions, but it still remains incredibly difficult for potential medical cannabis users to find doctors' prescriptions to access the services.

Social Justice

Politicians get elected under the banner of getting tough on drugs, and this is one of the values of prohibiton. It helps those who have political power to maintain that power. Meanwhile, about 12% of Canadians use marijuana on a regular basis to enhance entertainment, sex, or artistic projects. And a vast majority of Canadians believe that it should be legalized.

The Resolution Tour

We like to think that we are at a tipping point in public opinion, where it will become safer for politicians to talk about ending prohibition than it will be for them to continue to blather about dragging it on. This is one of the main intentions of the Resolution Tour, to raise public awareness and stimulate debate.