The rights and fiscal case against pushing adults into illicit markets

Adults should not be pushed toward sellers who operate outside the legal framework. That outcome gives adults less certainty, gives government less visibility, and gives unlawful sellers a price advantage over people who follow the rules.

Tax fairness is part of the rights question because a poorly designed restriction can punish lawful behaviour while rewarding evasion. The adult who buys through a legal channel remains visible to a system that can tax, inspect, and correct. The seller who avoids the channel becomes harder to monitor.

A restrained policy should therefore ask a practical question before expanding restrictions: will this rule reduce the actual risk, or will it move adults and revenue into a market where fewer safeguards exist?

The association's answer is not deregulation. It is proportionate regulation that preserves lawful access, protects youth, and directs enforcement toward the sellers who avoid public duties.