By Anthony Martinelli

Sensible Washington

There are many who agree that cannabis prohibition is a failure; there are fewer who agree what to do about it.

Whether through a harshly regulated and heavily taxed system, or whether through one that more closely aligns cannabis with, say, tea leaf, there are many thoughts on how we should legalize cannabis. This is a conversation more than worth having.

When having this conversation, one thing must always be taken into consideration: cannabis doesn’t belong on a state or federal list of controlled substances, and work should be made to remove it from such — regardless of the accompanying regulation or taxation system.

Anything short of this won’t bring meaningful reform, nor will it bring lasting protection to cannabis consumers.