CCHE Seminar Series: Legal Recreational Cannabis Sales in Canada

Legal Recreational Cannabis Sales in Canada

Michael J. Armstrong
Brock University

Friday March 15, 2024, 10am-12pm, HSB Rm. 412 and Zoom

Abstract: The legalization of recreational cannabis use and commercial sales in Canada is a grand experiment in public policy. It involves interactions between government regulations and business practices that potentially affect public health and economic growth. This presentation will summarize three studies of Canada’s recreational cannabis market: the factors that limited the initial expansion of recreational sales; the relationships between growth in licensed stores, recreational sales, and overall usage; and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recreational sales.

Michael J. Armstrong is an associate professor of operations research at Brock University. His research on the business aspects of cannabis legalization has appeared in journals like Health Policy, Drug & Alcohol Dependence, and the International Journal of Drug Policy. Michael has written more than 100 opinion columns for periodicals like the Globe and Mail, New Zealand Herald, and Denmark Berlingske. He has also given more than 500 interviews to news outlets, including for the New York Times, the Daily Telegraph, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. His past awards include a Fulbright Visiting Research Chair and a Chancellor’s Chair for Teaching Excellence.