Partner and drug regulatory expert Eileen McMahon was interviewed by Bloomberg to elucidate the federal government’s recent cannabis legalization bill. Eileen covered a broad range of subjects concerning the recently released legislation including:

• the possibility of a federal cannabis tax;
• how the government may determine an appropriate retail tax;
• the potential implications of legalization within trade re-negotiations (specifically NAFTA);
• the effects of the law on value-added products in the market; and
• the international business ramifications of legalized marijuana in Canada when recreational marijuana remains federally illegal in the United States.

When questioned about the dangers of leaving the majority of regulatory matters to provinces and the chances of a discordant, “patch-work” system, Eileen shared that ultimately “companies that are comfortable with a regulatory burden […] those companies will thrive. […] It’s clear that we’re moving to a state where we will not have prohibition but we will have a controlled regulated environment in Canada for cannabis.”

To learn more about Eileen’s insights to the growing cannabis industry and subsequent regulatory issues, click here.