Canada’s legalization of marijuana will boost understanding of benefits, unintended consequences, researcher says


LAWRENCE — Canada became the second country in the world to legalize marijuana, and sales began today. Dispensaries across the country opened doors this morning and began selling a variety of marijuana products.

While supporters and opponents of the measure celebrated and condemned the move, the country and many others across the world will be watching to see what ramifications come with the legalization. Nancy Kepple, assistant professor of social welfare at the University of Kansas, is available to speak with media about issues related to the world’s most wide-scale legalization to date. Kepple, whose research focuses on social consequences of availability, distribution and use of psychoactive substances, can discuss sales, demographics, availability of legal marijuana, social aspects of use, dispensaries, black market availability, how Canada’s nationwide availability compares to that of some states in the USA and related topics.

"In the United States, dispensaries and delivery models remain dominant modes of distribution despite each state having the freedoms to determine their own distribution models. Similarly, Canada is allowing each province to determine the ways that marijuana will be distributed, which has resulted in a wide range of approaches that may reflect different geographic needs, ranging from traditional dispensary models to online or telephone orders,” Kepple said. “Our understanding of the relative benefits and unintended consequences of each model is still developing and should continue to be monitored. The use of maximum amounts in grams is a particularly interesting move on the part of the Canadians and may serve as a model for the United States to also explore."

Kepple has conducted and published research on the opioid crisis, how substance abuse affects families and social effects of medicinal marijuana in the United States. She can also discuss legal marijuana use and how policy addresses expanding legalization.

To schedule an interview, contact Mike Krings at 785-864-8860 or mkrings@ku.edu.

Wed, 10/17/2018

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Mike Krings

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