Today we return to the subject of the legalization of marijuana in Canada. Earlier this week, we looked at the issue of whether governments should go high or low when setting tax rates on pot. The answer: low. And now we ask the question: how old should someone be to legally use marijuana? Again, our academic expert says governments should go low.

Rebecca Haines-Saah from the University of Calgary has done research on youth cannabis use and the public health policy implications of cannabis legalization in Canada. She supports a legal age of 18 for pot use. Her reasons? “It will help to divert youth from illicit markets, and it will prompt an earlier start for cannabis prevention and education.”

Prof. Haines-Saah brings more than an academic background to the argument. She was an actress on the famous Canadian TV show Degrassi (she played Kathleen Mead) and says the same “edgy and honest way of addressing teen coming-of-age issues” that Degrassi was famous for is an approach that should be used for developing educational programming about marijuana use.

Last week, the new owner of the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Toronto announced it would remove the U.S. president’s name from the property. The Trump brand has taken a hit around the world over the last year and University of Manitoba marketing professor Fang Wan explains why "the relationship between a high-profile figure and a business brand is fraught with difficulties.”

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Regards,