Right now, the federal government is reviewing the laws that made recreational pot legal in Canada. Everything is theoretically on the table, even if the basics of the act are unlikely to change much. But there are things we could fix that would make the system work better—and more fairly—for everyone.

From the pardon process to the makeup of the industry and who gets licenses and sits on boards, legal Cannabis has resembled the days of prohibition in one way—a lack of racial justice, and an inability to truly grant amnesty to everyone who should have it. This is our chance to fix that. Will we take it?

GUEST: Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, associate professor of criminal justice, University of Toronto; co-author of Waiting to Inhale: Cannabis Legalization and the Fight for Racial Justice.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected] 

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky