The case for legalising weed for recreational use

Now that it’s legal in much of North America, big business, including Guinness owner Diageo, is considering investing in marijuana as a product. Isn’t it time we too looked into it?

In the not-too-distant future, shelves in supermarkets will be stocked with everyday cannabis-flavoured products Pic: Getty

Canada legalised recreational marijuana in October 2017. It was the second country in the world to do so after Uruguay in 2013. Medical marijuana has been legal in Canada since 2001. Now, the consumption and cultivation of cannabis is no longer a criminal offence among the country’s population of almost 37 million.

The debate on decriminalisation in Ireland has tended to focus on cannabis for medicinal use. People Before Profit TDs Gino Kenny ...