Policy designs for cannabis legalization: starting with the eight Ps

Abstract

The cannabis policy landscape is changing rapidly. In November 2012 voters in Colorado and Washington State passed ballot initiatives to remove the prohibition on the commercial production, distribution, and possession of cannabis. This paper does not address the question of whether cannabis should be legal; it instead focuses on the design considerations confronting jurisdictions that are pondering a change in cannabis policy. Indeed, whether or not cannabis legalization is net positive or negative for public health and public safety largely depends on regulatory decisions and how they are implemented. This essay presents eight of these design choices which all conveniently begin with the letter “P”: production, profit motive, promotion, prevention, potency, purity, price, and permanency.

• Cannabis
• drug policy
• economics
• legalization
• marijuana

Notes

¹The Cole (2013) memo listed eight federal priorities for prosecutors to consider when charging cannabis cases. Examples include preventing distribution to minors and preventing the diversion of cannabis to other states.

²CBD has other therapeutic properties. In a growing number of countries outside of the US it is possible to obtain Sativex, a prescription drug derived from cannabis that is roughly 50% CBD and 50% THC, for treating spasticity due to multiple sclerosis (26). There are also studies underway in the US examining the efficacy of using a highly purified extract of CBD to treat children suffering from severe epilepsy (27).