Marijuana in Montreal: The future of legalized cannabis

Marijuana legalization has been one of Prime Minister Trudeau's most talked about campaign promises.

But what would legal cannabis look like in Montreal?

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• How legalized marijuana could change Canadian cities

CBC Montreal's Daybreak askedthequestionto peopleon all sides of the debate for "Montreal 420",a six-partseries that explored how cannabis legalization will change Canada.

Below are some of the perspectives heard over the course of the series from Montreal, Ottawaand Colorado.

Click on their names for the full story.

Adam Greenblatt, medical marijuana clinic founder

I think [selling marijuana at the SAQ is] the path of least resistance for provincial governments just starting to wrap their heads around it. But ultimately, I don't feel that liquor stores are the best place to sell cannabis.

• SAQ union explores selling marijuana at liquor stores

I think that there's already a very diverse and well established private sector for medical cannabis, and non-medical cannabis as well, that could be brought into whatever framework comes out.

Jonathan Singer, Colorado State Representative

You know, the good news is our economy is booming. Our economy has gone from 40th in job creation to fourthin job creation over the last few years.

In addition to that, we have seen record numbers of tourists. In addition to that, we have seen crime stay about the same or even some crimes even decline in thestate of Colorado. And we also have a new cash source to fund our schools, so it has certainly changed it in a lot of ways.

Andy Nulman, Just For Laughs co-founder

When you see people going to take tours of craft breweries or the Jack Danielsdistillery...or they go to wine country and they go bicycle from winery to winery, why would this be any different?

We have a beer festival. Why wouldn't we have a marijuana festival?

If somebody plays their cards right, yes, this could be a really interesting tourism card.

PatriciaConrod, youth addiction specialist

One thing we know is that the earlier the onset and regular use of cannabis use, the more at risk you are for depending on cannabis and other substances of abuse.We haven't fully understood why that is but it's a well-established effect.

SebastienSt-Louis, medical marijuana producer

Right now, the medical marijuana market in Canada, once fully developed, should be about $1 billion.

Now if we were to move toa retail, recreational model that's legal, we're modelling, very conservatively a $7 to $8 billion market in Canada.

Philippe Paul, former Montreal police officer

If it's controlled, and grown by the government, that's one less valve open for organized crime. So that's less money for them, so they have to turn to other illicit drugs.