The Cannabis Research Institute (CRI) invites the public to attend the next installment of the CRI Public Research Series. The session, Beyond Legalization: Designing Reform That Repairs Harm and Centers Communities, is scheduled for 2–3 p.m. Thursday, June 25. The Zoom meeting registration link can be found here.

According to CRI’s press release, cannabis legalization is too often debated in the abstract, but its design and lived impact tell two different stories. In this session, Douglas Berman and Meredith McGee bring complementary perspectives on how cannabis policy choices can advance the unfinished work of remedying harms from the war on drugs and how legalization is experienced by communities. Drawing on qualitative research across states where cannabis is legal and decades of legal scholarship, the conversation will explore what it takes to build cannabis policy that delivers on its public health and equity promises.

The session will include time for audience Q&A, offering participants an opportunity to engage directly with experts working at the intersection of law, public health, and cannabis policy.

Presenter Highlights:

Professor Douglas Berman, A.B., J.D., is the Newton D. Baker-Baker & Hostetler Chair in Law and Executive Director of the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, housed in the Moritz College of Law. Berman’s principal teaching and research focus is on criminal law and criminal sentencing, though he also has teaching and practice experience in the fields of legislation and intellectual property.

Meredith McGee, MPH, is a Public Health Researcher at the Parabola Center for Law and Policy, where she leads qualitative research on cannabis legalization in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her work focuses on how legalization is experienced by communities and how policy can better prioritize public health. She holds an MPH from the Yale School of Public Health and writes publicly on regulated industries at Ground Level.

The CRI Public Research Series is an initiative designed to make cannabis research transparent, accessible, and collaborative.

For more Illinois cannabis industry news, subscribe to Illinois News Joint’s newsletter here.

To find cannabis-friendly events in Illinois, visit here.

For Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.