JSGS Policy Briefs

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Browsing JSGS Policy Briefs by Author "Childs, Jason"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    An Effective Retail and Distribution Model for Recreational Cannabis
    (2017-12) Childs, Jason; Hartner, George
    The Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS) has issued an in-depth policy paper on the legalization of cannabis in Canada. By July 2018, the production, distribution, and sale of cannabis will be legal across the country. The Government of Canada's decision to legalize and regulate was driven by three core objectives: 1. Dismantle the illicit market. 2. Restrict youth access. 3. Minimize harm. In very short order, provincial governments have to develop policy regimes and in some instances without the necessary evidence typically required to ensure effectiveness. One of the biggest problems is that a fully legalized cannabis sector is so new that we lack any system of best practices and must instead rely on piecing together evidence from across a number of poicy lenses, including public health, public safety, economics, and innovation. While some provinces and professional associations have understandably requested more time to prepare for the Act coming into force, the Federal Government has had little appetite for putting off legalizaiton. The underlying logic is that any delay would mean another year of doing nothing to keep cannabis out of the hands of youth and to keep profits out of the illicit market. Faced with the scope of the policy issues and the time pressure to put an effective regulatory system in place, the JSGS has released a report examining the policy challenges.
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    Assessing the Privatization of Retail Alcohol Sales
    (2015-10) Childs, Jason; Siebert, Alexander
    Control and regulation of alcohol by governments has a long and varied history in Western Canada. In fact, it traces back to even before there were provinces, to the time when the Northwest Territories were controlled by Canada's Parliament. With liquor laws eventually coming under provincial jurisdiction, it's not surprising policies have evolved to the point where the provinces of Western Canada take different approaches to balancing the benefits of liberal alcohol policy and the social harm alcohol abuse causes. Finding the right policy prescription is an on-going challenge.
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    Energy Inefficiency of Canadian goods producing industries: Policy opportunities
    (2017-02) Childs, Jason; Gamtessa, Samuel
    Canadians face a daunting challenge. The Government of Canada has committed to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) to 522.9 million tonnes by 2030, a 32 per cent reduction from current levels. In 2014 Canada emitted 7681 million tonnes of CO2, which means Canadians will be required to reduce emissions by 245.1 tonnes to meet this objective. Given the magnitude of the challenge, it's critical to recognize the reality Canada faces. There are really only two ways Canadians can meet the national target - by reducing energy inefficiency, or by reducing their material standard of living. In this Policy Brief, we explore the potential for reducing CO2 emissions by eliminating inefficiency.
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    Legalizing Cannabis in Canada: Regulate, Educate, Mitigate and Innovate
    (2017-11) McNutt, Kathleen; Childs, Jason; Hartner, George
    The legalization of marijuana, whether as a point of public debate or explicit policy action, has been on the public mind in Canada for decades. It reaches back to the 1969 LeDain Royal Commission on the non-medical use of drugs. Among its recommendations was repeal of the criminal law prohibiting possession of cannabis.