Cannabis researcher says non-profit model is worth considering
A professor who has studied cannabis legalization for much of the last decade will be in Edmonton on Monday to speak at a research forum hosted by Alberta Health Services.
Jonathan Caulkins is a professor of operations research and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. His keynote speech will focus on policy surrounding cannabis producers.
Since Canada is on the path to becoming one of the first countries to fully legalize recreational cannabis, Caulkins said it is important for legislators to look at all options before deciding who can produce the product.
“The single biggest thing I’d like folks to realize is that there are choices about who it is that gets to produce,” he said Sunday in an interview with Postmedia. “I hope people have time to pause and consider the options.”
Those options include for-profit corporations, non-profit organizations, co-ops and government-run operations.
While Caulkins tries not to advocate for any one model, he said the non-profit model can be a comfortable starting point.
Non-profit producers can be regulated in the same way as for-profit producers but would produce cannabis to meet current demand instead of focusing on growth.
“If there’s any uncertainty if you want to jump in with both feet, a non-profit might be the way to go initially,” Caulkins said.
When it comes to the cannabis industry, Caulkins called the for-profit model a “double-edged sword.”
The odds are excellent the cannabis industry will “grow like gangbusters,” but that growth comes at the expense of public health, he said.
The negative side of companies promoting their product is the marketing is often targeted to daily or near-daily cannabis users, who may suffer from substance abuse, Caulkins said. While some highfrequency use comes with no harm, it also has the potential to interfere with a person’s work or family life.
“If you’re talking about something like shoes, there’s not really a conflict of interest between the company making money and the interest of the public,” he said.
“Tobacco is the best analogy. Most people don’t want tobacco to be prohibited but aren’t enthusiastic about the industry’s behaviour. Canada is about to build another industry like that.”
Government, law enforcement and industry stakeholders are expected to join Caulkins and other researchers for the Cannabis Research Day forum at the University of Alberta on Monday.