UBC researchers are cautioning policy makers not to alter a cannabis distribution system that乌鸦传媒攚hile not legal yet乌鸦传媒攚orks well.
Associate professor Zach Walsh, who teaches psychology at UBC乌鸦传媒檚 Okanagan campus, and PhD candidate Rielle Capler, say store-front dispensaries乌鸦传媒攐ften under fire by law enforcement and city governments乌鸦传媒攁re a tried and true method of selling cannabis. The pair recently published a study on medicinal cannabis dispensaries and determined customers prefer the independent storefront as opposed to growing their own, or getting it from a dealer.
The call comes just days after the City of West Kelowna that have been operating there for several years, and is looking to close down four others that are operating as not-for-profit organizations that do not require business licences. The city乌鸦传媒檚 reason for cancelling the business licences is that the dispensaries are operating illegally and over concern about the quality of the cannabis being sold.
According to Walsh and Capler, in Canada, dispensaries are not an authorized source for cannabis, although many operate as 乌鸦传媒渃ompassion clubs,乌鸦传媒� selling cannabis for medical乌鸦传媒攏ot recreational乌鸦传媒攑urposes. Their research suggests that when recreational marijuana use becomes legal in 2018, the current system of dispensaries should remain.
乌鸦传媒淒ispensaries do serve a role in our society, especially for some people with chronic illnesses who use cannabis for medicinal purposes,乌鸦传媒� said Walsh. 乌鸦传媒淭here is a self-regulatory model that already exists and improvements can be made in a legalized environment.乌鸦传媒�
The study is one of the first to specifically look at the experience of dispensary users. It compared their experiences to those who purchase cannabis through other sources including self-production, and illegal sources, such as friends or street dealers.
乌鸦传媒淥ur study shows there are people who have preferences for dispensaries especially compared to other illegal sources,乌鸦传媒� said Capler. 乌鸦传媒淥ur study also provides insight into some of the aspects of dispensaries that the government may want to emulate in the legal framework for both medical and recreational use.乌鸦传媒�
Recently, the Ontario government announced that once restrictions come off next year, it will sell marijuana in dedicated stores run by the province乌鸦传媒檚 liquor control board.
While operating under the shadows of provincial laws and city bylaws, dispensaries have thrived in neighbourhoods across Canada. Capler calls the current method a 乌鸦传媒榥atural experiment乌鸦传媒� that乌鸦传媒檚 been underway for decades and says law makers should this keep in mind when addressing regulation policies.
乌鸦传媒淒ispensaries are not new and they provide a proven, valuable service,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淲hile some are thought of as a nuisance, in reality many of these dispensaries are small, independent, long-standing businesses who serve a dedicated clientele.
For their research, more than 440 people who use cannabis for therapeutic purposes were asked to compare different methods of purchasing cannabis on a number of factors such as quality of product, safety, availability, efficiency and feeling respected. Study participants rated dispensaries highly across most categories with the only prominent negative being that the cost of dispensary product is often higher than from a street dealer.
乌鸦传媒淐learly dispensaries are already playing a big role in cannabis access in Canada,乌鸦传媒� Capler added. 乌鸦传媒淭he provincial and municipal governments will have to either look at including them in a legal framework乌鸦传媒攐r drawing on what乌鸦传媒檚 working in dispensaries as they build a new model. We want to think this paper may, in some way, guide policy to create a system that works.乌鸦传媒�
Their research, supported by a grant from the UBC Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention, was recently published in the International Journal of Drug Policy.
