Julian Fantino and the Hypocrisy of New Pot Legislation: Here’s What We’re Reading

The Daily 5 is Sharp’s essential reading list for what’s happening in the world today. Make sure to follow us on Twitter or subscribe to the Sharp Insider newsletter to stay up to date.

Here’s what we’re reading today.

1. Ex-cops cashing in on new pot laws exposes hypocrisy of the legislation

From Vicky Mochama:  “Known for his mishandling of Veterans Affairs, corruption scandals within his constabulary and, shall we say, colourful comments on race and marijuana, former Toronto and Ontario police chief Julian Fantino is launching a pot business with a former RCMP senior leader. It has rightly been met with outcry.

“It exposes not only his personal hypocrisies but also those of the pot legalization process.

“A focus on criminalizing personal use of pot rather than public health concerns (i.e., accessibility to children, mental health issues) has contributed to the circumstances that make young Black and Indigenous people known to police. Along with carding, illegality of marijuana has introduced more young racialized, especially Black, people to the criminal justice system than is patently fair.”

– Metro

2. Germany plunged into political crisis after coalition talks fail

“Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany faced the greatest crisis of her political career on Monday, after late-night negotiations to form a new government collapsed, raising the prospect of a snap election.

“The chancellor said she remained hopeful about forming a majority government. But if forced to choose, she said she would prefer to go through new elections rather than try to lead a minority government.”

New York Times

3. ‘A long winter’: White House aides divided over scope, risks of Russia probe

“Six months into a special counsel’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, White House aides and others in President Trump’s close orbit are increasingly divided in their assessments of the expanding probe and how worried administration officials and campaign aides should be about their potential legal peril, according to numerous people familiar with the debate. ”

Washington Post

4. The education of Mark Zuckerberg

“The Facebook founder has discussed “community” more than 150 times in public. A close reading reveals his road map for the platform’s future.”

The Atlantic

5. Political correctness isn’t the problem

“The ‘real’ bigotry is not suppression of speech, but white nationalism.”

The Outline