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| Canada is set to become only the second country in the world to legalise cannabis. Across the border, America is making global headlines on another burning issue—all captured by our cartoonist, KAL.
Click here to subscribe to The Economist on YouTube: https://econ.st/2xvTKdy Political cartoonists have the arduous task of packing a mountain of information into a very small space. So they have evolved over the decades a visual vocabulary to help the reader ingest and enjoy their work. The most obvious example of these cartooning tools is the iconic national symbol. There’s the Russian bear, the Chinese dragon, and of course our old friend Uncle Sam among others. Kals drawing for this week’s edition of The Economist features two of these classic characters. The first is the plucky persona for Canada, the beaver. The Canadian beaver will have a high profile this week because his country will be only the second on the planet, besides Uruguay, to legalize the use of marijuana. This is a big deal for Canadian cannabis consumers, a boon for government tax coffers, and a public policy worth watching. No doubt many, including Americans, will be eyeing this with hope – while many others will view it with suspicion. America’s attitude to marijuana has been erratic. A spattering of local laws that offer medicinal and recreational relief for consumers, while federal laws continue to ban it. The Canadian experiment with legalization will no doubt bring a hot spotlight on this incongruity. But there’s another burning issue in the spotlight this week – a comprehensive UN report was released describing the perilous state of the world’s climate. It states that urgent action is required to reverse the calamitous effect of climate change. Trump’s America is not heeding the call to action instead our old friend Uncle Sam seems more inclined to retire outside and have a toke – and not of marijuana. Daily Watch: mind-stretching short films throughout the working week. For more from Economist Films visit: https://econ.st/2o8kfOB |
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