Regulating Cannabis

A 5-year investigation of the implementation of the world's first fully regulated cannabis market for pleasure in Colorado

Kind words for Regulating Cannabis

"This book clearly demonstrates authority in the field of international drug policy and draws predominantly on the latest evidence in doing so. It is a substantial contribution to an emerging policy issue with a plethora of new knowledge displayed throughout. Overall, I found this to be a vital addition to the canon of knowledge regarding cannabis policy change"
Dr Mark Monaghan
Head of the Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology University of Birmingham


"The author has broadened the understanding of cannabis regulation when it comes to conflicts between consumer protection, private profit, and public health. He has successfully applied and enriched several theoretical concepts in the context of cannabis legalization, especially when it comes to 'the elephant in the room' - the wellness potential of cannabis on legal markets"
Vendula Belackova, PhD
Drug Policy Researcher & Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales

Contents at a glance

At a time when cannabis legalisation is spreading across an increasing number of jurisdictions globally, this book cuts across the noise and presents a factual account of issues faced by regulators in the real-world context of Colorado. It can be read as an evidence-based handbook for regulators and should be a first port of call for anyone interested in the legalisation of cannabis.

In January 2014, Colorado implemented a commercial cannabis market for pleasure - the first jurisdiction globally to implement a regulated, adult-use cannabis supply chain from seed-to-sale. It was reported as an historic occasion that presaged a grand social and economic experiment in drug legalisation.

Including analysis of hundreds of pages of government documents, almost 1000 media articles, and interviews in the field with over 30 senior government officials, industry executives, and front-line public health representatives, this book is the definitive account of real-world cannabis policy implementation.


The cannabis academic public health literature is examined prodigiously including its potential for harm and benefit together with alternative regulatory approaches. The book also features a number of papers published in academic journals based on the PhD research of the author. The commodification of cannabis vs the craft approach together with the entanglement of the medical and recreational markets are two of many topical themes discussed in detail.

Multiple recommendations relevant for other jurisdictions considering the legalisation of cannabis are presented. Recognising the limitations of harm reduction approaches that cannot conceptually conceive beneficial aspects of cannabis consumption, a new framework, the spectrum of wellness is proposed as an alternative in Appendix 1 of the book.