Drug Policy Alternatives
social justice & public health
The mission of Drug Policy Alternatives is to contribute to the world-wide movement to change the historically unjust and ineffective approaches to drug policy. DPA uses evidence-informed analysis and principles of social justice to inform and encourage active public participation in this movement.
Mike DeVillaer
mike@drugpolicyalt.ca
Now Available!
CANADA / USA Univ.Toronto Press
utpbooks@utpress.utoronto.ca
UK / INTERNATIONAL Central Books
contactus@centralbooks.com
or ask at your local book store:
ISBN: 978-1-55164-795-1
Farewell to Drug Policy Alternatives
This issue of DPA eNews marks a departure. For the past few months, I have been taking stock of where I am with Drug Policy Alternatives. I’ve decided that I want to focus my time on a couple other things. One is a new stage of promoting my book “Buzz Kill: The Corporatization of Cannabis”. The research, writing, and re-writing literally took over my life for several years. A few years back, my son and I took a course on screenwriting. I remember the instructor’s repeated assertion that “writing is mostly re-writing”. When I decided to write a book, I sought…
Recent & Upcoming Presentations
“Cannabis Legalization in Canada: Success or Failure?”
Postgraduate Medical Education Program, School of Medicine,
University of Calgary
March 28 2025
“Cannabis Legalization in Canada: Success or Failure?”
Mental Health and Addictions Program Rounds, St Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton Ontario
November 28 2024.
“Cannabis Legalization in Canada: Success or Failure?”
Canadian Society for Addiction Medicine Scientific Conference, Hamilton Ontario
November 16, 2024.
“Cannabis Legalization in Canada: Success or Failure?”
Concurrent Disorders Course, Mohawk College, Hamilton, Ontario
October 30 2024.
“Colonization of drug policy through regulatory capture: Cannabis legalization in Canada”
17th Annual Conference of The International Society for the Study of Drug Policy, Montreal Quebec
June 19 – 21, 2024.
“Cannabis Legalization in Canada: Is it a Safe Supply?”
Canadian Public Health Association Annual Conference, Halifax Nova Scotia
April 23, 2024
“Cannabis Legalization In Canada: How it Really Happened and Why”
Mental Health and Addiction Program Rounds, St. Josephs Healthcare, Hamilton Ontario
November 30, 2023.
“The Tobacco Industry Playbook in Other Industries”
Master of Global Affairs Program, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy,
University of Toronto, Toronto Ontario.
November 23 2023.
“Cannabis Legalization In Canada: How it Really Happened and Why”
Concurrent Disorders Course, Mohawk College. Hamilton Ontario.
November 15 2023.
Book launch: “Buzz Kill: The Corporatization of Cannabis”
Octopus Books, Ottawa Ontario
November 9 2023.
“Legalizing A Recreational Drug: Cannabis in Canada as a Case Study”
Canadian Society for Addiction Medicine Scientific Conference. Victoria British Columbia.
October 19, 2023.
“Legalizing a Recreational Drug: Cannabis in Canada as a Case Study”.
Innovations in the Science of Cannabis Conference, McMaster University, Hamilton Ontario.
October 12 2023.
Recent Media Coverage for DPA
Passifiume, Bryan. Petition calls on Ottawa to allow more potent cannabis edibles. National Post Nov 14, 2023. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/petition-feds-potent-cannabis-edibles
Otis, Daniel. Up in smoke: 5 years after legalization, cannabis use higher while companies burn out. CTV News Canada, October 17 2023. https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/up-in-smoke-5-years-after-legalization-cannabis-use-higher-while-companies-burn-out-1.6604769
Bicknell, Bryan. Five year anniversary: Legal pot a tough road for business owners. CTV News. October 16 2023. https://london.ctvnews.ca/five-year-anniversary-legal-pot-a-tough-road-for-business-owners-1.6603759
CBC. Sarnia Author Takes on Cannabis Regulation in New Book. CBC Radio Windsor/London. October 10 2023. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-80-afternoon-drive/clip/16015025-sarnia-author-takes-cannabis-regulation-book