EDITOR:
Happy Cannabis Day. Wednesday reminded me of the day the P.E.I. government legalized video lottery terminals (VLTs) and took control of them (i.e., taxed them). For years, the police would go into bars where these machines were and told the bar owners to shut them off.
Then, some genius in government said, “Wait! What are we doing? We should legalize the VLTs and tax the money spent in them.” And there was much rejoicing around the cabinet table. VLTs were legalized and soon sprung up in every bar, corner store and community hall on P.E.I. Government officials danced with glee as the millions came rolling in. We all know where that ended up.
Fast forward about 30 years and another genius said, ‘Let’s stop fighting the war on cannabis and get in on the big money rolling in.” I’ve never seen governments on both provincial and federal levels move so fast and in co-operation with each other. Imagine how easy interprovincial free trade could happen if it was dependent on the golden weed?
Seems like physicians take the Hippocratic oath and politicians take the hypocritical oath.
Lloyd Kerry,
Charlottetown