This article proposes a “not-for-profit” regulatory approach for legal recreational cannabis. This approach is based on the public health approach taken to gaming machine gambling in New Zealand. The proposed approach would make cannabis sellers financially responsible for the wider health and social costs of their products. Local governments would have the power to decide how many and where cannabis retail outlets are located. The proposed approach also addresses the criticisms that have been raised about the gaming machine regulations. For instance, the author suggests most of the community grants from cannabis sales to be spent in the regions where cannabis sales are made. There would be independent grant allocation committees, and allocation of grants would be made transparent.
