Why Justin Trudeau wants to see marijuana legalized in Canada

As the Liberals continue to move towards the legalization of marijuana in Canada, commercial enterprises that intend to capitalize on the marijuana industry in its infancy are seizing their opportunity.

Alan Gertner, the former Google employee who quit to launch Tokyo Smoke, says he hopes to see Canada become for cannabis what France is for wine.

At the Canada Summit hosted by The Economist this week, Gertner explained that the cannabis industry is at a crossroads, and wants his company to help pioneer a more sophisticated marijuana consumption experience.

Gertner is just one of the enterpreneurs who is looking to capitalize on the eventual legalization of the marijuana trade, along with the dozens of shops in Toronto and Vancouver who are weathering fines while they wait for the writ to pass.

In Colorado, where recreational marijuana has been legal since January 2014, $30 million in total economic output was seen from marijuana retailers in the first six months of legalization, and 280 jobs were created at just two dispensaries.

But while businesses gear up for impending legalization, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's not concerned about the economic impact at this stage.

"Look, our approach on legalizing marijuana is not about creating a boutique industry or bringing in tax revenues," Trudeau told the Canada Summit on Wednesday. "It's based on two very simple principles.

"The first one is: young people have easier access to cannabis now, in Canada, than they do in just about any other country in the world. In 29 different countries studied by the UN, Canada was number one in terms of underage access to marijuana."

Trudeau is citing a 2013 study by UNICEF, Child well-being in rich countries: A comparative overview. The study -- which surveyed children ages 11, 13 and 15 in developed countries -- found 28 per cent of Canadian youths surveyed had used cannabis in the last 12 months. That figure is four per cent higher than the next highest country, Switzerland. The survey was conducted in 2009 -- long before Trudeau entered office, and the Tories accused him of promoting marijuana use among youth.

"Whatever you might think or studies you've seen about cannabis being less harmful than alcohol or even cigarettes, the fact is, it is bad for the developing brain, and we need to make sure that it's harder for underage Canadians to access marijuana," said Trudeau. "And that will happen under a controlled and regulated regime.

"The other piece of it is there are billions upon billions of dollars flowing into the pockets of organized crime, street gangs and gun runners because of the illicit marijuana trade," said Trudeau. He continued that legalizing marijuana would help stop funding the criminal activities of those groups.

While there are plenty of people like Gertner who will be benefiting from the legalization of marijuana in the form of legitimate business enterprises, Trudeau (who commented that we shouldn't really discount Canadian wine compared to French, either) remains ambivalent to the economic impact it will have at this early stage in the process.

"I have no doubt that Canadians and enterpreneurs will be tremendously innovative in finding ways to create positive economic benefits from the legalization and control of marijuana, but our focus is on protecting kids, and protecting our streets."