You can’t have an addiction-based industry without youth. Big Tobacco knew this. Big Pot does too. Here’s the big tobacco playbook:
Lorillard: “The base of our business is the high school student.”
Phillip Morris: “Today’s teenager is tomorrow’s potential regular customer…
Because of our high share of the market among the youngest smokers, Philip Morris will suffer more than the other companies from the decline in the number of teenage smokers.”
The Liggett Group: “If you are really and truly not going to sell [cigarettes] to children, you are going to be out of business in 30 years.”
R. J. Reynolds: “Realistically, if our company is to survive and prosper over the long term, we must get our share of the youth market.”
The Big Pot playbook just as insidious.
1) Remove the perception of harm — decriminalize an ounce.
2) Give marijuana a good name — medicinalize.
3) Legalize