Sen, Wyonch – Missing Out on Marijuana Taxes
From: Anindya Sen and Rosalie Wyonch To: Canada’s Cannabis Regulators Date: October 15, 2018 Re: Missing Out on Marijuana Taxes A large black market combined with supply shortages of legal marijuana will cut potential tax revenues by an estimated $800 million in the first year of legalization. In our new C.D. Howe Institute report, we find that government revenue […] Without easy retail access to cannabis, the black market will thrive – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
On Oct. 17, Canada will be the second country in the world to have fully legalized production and retail distribution of recreational marijuana. There will be considerable international interest in the Canadian experiment, in order to understand what works and what does not. One of the prime objectives of legalization was to stamp out the black market. However, it is now clear that this is extremely unlikely. Both federal and different provincial governments should accept responsibility for this.
Black markets exist if there is insufficient legal supply or if they can offer comparable goods at lower cost. Based on available data on the number of licensed producers and medical-marijuana production and inventory levels, we estimate…
Anindya Sen on BNN – Pot shortfall will keep black market alive in first year of legalization
Anindya Sen, professor of economics and director of the Master of Public Service Program at the University of Waterloo, discusses the expected challenges of legal cannabis retailing and why a supply shortage will lead to the black market continuing in year of legalization.
Rosalie Wyonch on Power Play – How long will pot supply shortage last?
The Institute’s Rosalie Wyonch says ‘time constaints’ could create a legal cannabis shortage, lettin gthe black market survive.
Rosalie Wyonch – Regulation of Edible and Concentrated Marijuana Products
From: Rosalie Wyonch To: The Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice for Canada Subject: Regulation of Edible and Concentrated Marijuana Products Date: October 2, 2018 In order to minimize the black market, the federal government and Health Canada should immediately develop regulations for edible and concentrated marijuana products. Edible products are popular and consumers appear likely to purchase […] Ian Irvine – More Action Needed on the Cannabis File
From: Ian Irvine To: Ontario Premier Doug Ford Date: August 31, 2018 Re: More Action Needed on the Cannabis File Ontario Premier Doug Ford should be congratulated for improving Ontario’s marijuana market structure this month. He decided to privatize the retailing of marijuana in the province. That decision represents a reversal of the previous government’s choice to place retailing […] William B.P. Robson – Phantom Savings – Why National Pharmacare Will Not Displace Public Employee Drug Plans
From: William B.P. Robson To: Canada’s Health and Finance Ministers Date: August 27, 2018 Re: Phantom Savings – Why National Pharmacare Will Not Displace Public Employee Drug Plans Pharmacare is a hot issue in Canada. Federal support for provincial drug programs will likely feature in party platforms in the next federal election. With drugs becoming […] Doug Ford almost got it right on cannabis – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Ontario Premier Doug Ford should be congratulated for improving Ontario’s marijuana market structure last week. He decided to privatize the retailing of marijuana in the province. That decision represents a reversal of the previous government’s choice to place retailing in the hands of a high-cost government monopoly. This is good news.
However, he also decided to leave a government agency front and centre in the wholesaling of cannabis. Having gone some way to free up entrepreneurial energies and create an expansive marketplace, he balked at the idea that this market could function well without a monopsony, or a single buyer, at its core.
For the benefit of Ontarians, the government should go further, and, in particular…
Blomqvist and Wyonch – Pharmacare and Politics
From: Åke Blomqvist and Rosalie Wyonch To: The Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor, federal Minister of Health Subject: Pharmacare and Politics Date: July 16, 2018 A central element of the election platform of the current federal government was a promise to address the largest gap in Canada’s health system; the lack of universal coverage for the […] How To Modernize Canada’s Health Care In The Digital Age – Globe And Mail Op-ed
At the heart of health care are face-to-face interactions between health professionals and their patients and families. That is what makes it the ultimate “bricks and mortar” industry.
Health care continues to be defined by visits to hospitals and doctors’ offices and now, increasingly, by time spent waiting in hallways. Answering health care’s challenges in the 21st century will not be achieved by having more 20th century doctor’s offices and hospitals. It will come from modernizing our system through the use of new digital tools and integrating them into the day-to-day work of caring for patients.
In our C.D. Howe Institute paper, “Modernizing Canada’s Healthcare System Through the Virtualization of Services,” we…
Donelle, Duffin, Pipitone, White-guay – Canada’s Drug Shortage Problem
From: Jessy Donelle, Jacalyn Duffin, Jon Pipitone and Brian White-Guay To: Canada’s Healthcare Policymakers Date: June 18, 2018 Re: Canada’s Drug Shortage Problem Drug shortages in Canada are a problem in need of immediate solutions. In our recent C.D. Howe Institute report we provide one of the first assessments of the extent of the problem and argue that a […] Assessing Canada’s Drug Shortage Problem
Drug shortages in Canada are a problem in need of immediate solutions, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Assessing Canada’s Drug Shortage Problem” – one of the few comprehensive reports examining the size of the problem in Canada – medical experts Jessy Donelle, Jacalyn Duffin, Jon Pipitone and Brian White-Guay […]