Should illegal drug dealers be able to become legal drug dealers?

The Herald reports:

People with previous cannabis convictions should be able to supply legal medicinal cannabis and, if recreational use became legal, be offered a clean slate, Green MP Chloe Swarbrick says.
But the National Party say only “fit and proper persons” should manufacture legal cannabis.
Swarbrick’s comments follow an email exchange – released to the National Party under the Official Information Act – showing that the Greens had asked Ministry of Health officials to look at proposals for the medicinal cannabis legislation, including one that would “allow individuals with previous drug convictions to manufacture cannabis”.
The Greens’ proposal never came before the House, but that door has not closed.

Who should be eligible to supply medicinal cannabis will be a key aspect of the Government’s new regulatory framework, which will be in place by the end of the year following public consultation.
National’s associate health spokesman Shane Reti said medicinal cannabis manufacturers and employees should be “fit and proper persons”.
National has proposed clean slate legislation requiring no terms of imprisonment and no convictions for seven years for employees, and even tougher standards for licence holders including no associations with gangs.

I have to say that a requirement to have no convictions within the last seven years seems sensible to me.