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00:00You've made these steps towards legalizing marijuana. You're pushing that forward next year it may be in place by the summer of 2018. One thing I've noticed in all these is the government going to make money out of this. Is this going to be something you tax one vote which isn't very clear to me. Well it's not very clear to you because we haven't focused on that. The reason we are choosing to legalize it control marijuana is because the current system is not protecting our kids. It's right now easier for an underage Canadian teenager to buy a joint than it is for them to get their hands on a bottle of beer. And whatever you may think about the relative harms of marijuana versus versus alcohol or cigarettes marijuana is not good for the developing brain. It's not good for our kids. We need to do a better job of making it more difficult at least as difficult as it is to access alcohol as as it can be. And that's that's the main part of our legalization strategy along with recognizing that criminal organizations and street gangs are making billions of dollars every single year off of the sale of marijuana which they then funnel into other criminal activities. So you put those two things together you realize we have a system that isn't working . Can we change it. Can we make it more difficult for young people to access marijuana. Can we put the sale of marijuana through at least a regulated and overseen frame that the government will put forward to make sure there's quality control make sure that the profits aren't aren't going into illicit corners and yes draw on tax revenues that can then be put into public education campaigns better better advocacy better work in mental health and and addiction services for for all drugs. Those are the kinds of things that we see as a logical step forward. So the lens we're taking. Yes there was. There are more like most likely be plenty of economic activity and profit. So any idea about what sort of industry may emerge and what seems to be happening in America is maybe a consolidation around a few big companies might happen . I think you know and again we're at the very beginning of of some thoughtful conversations with the provinces. Some something that quite frankly the world is looking at to see what you know what Canada does and how we do it. But I think you know if you look to alcohol as a model you have big global players in beer in Canada but you also have a lot of microbreweries and there is there is that capacity and consumer choice if you want to choose what what you want. There are options out there and I think ensuring that there is a range of business opportunities for small local producers and larger producers is not an unreasonable vision for . For what that industry could look like. But again we are looking at it from a public health and safety standpoint as opposed to some other places that legalized it on a commercial basis that will come later. We're going to get public health and safety right. On the public health thing that you are satisfied that despite all this evidence that they are now stronger more industrial strength of our own that that is that is something that we'll be better under a legal system that it will under a legal one. Well I think when you don't know what's in what you're buying from a pusher in a stairwell or a criminal organization I think with Health Canada properly regulating everything from THC levels to to use of pesticides people will have a lot better idea of what it is they're they're choosing to buy if they make that choice .

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Trudeau Says Canada Is Legalizing Pot to Protect Kids

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau comments on Canada's approach to the legalization of marijuana. He speaks during an interview with Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait. (Source: Bloomberg)

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