The impact of hemp and cannabis on US topic at Rice’s Baker Institute March 31

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

The impact of hemp and cannabis on US topic at Rice’s Baker Institute March 31

HOUSTON – (March 26, 2014) – American investigative journalist and author Doug Fine will discuss what impact legalized marijuana will have on the United States economy and the fast-developing area of U.S. drug policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy March 31.

DOUG FINE

Who: Doug Fine, American investigative journalist and author of “Too High to Fail: Cannabis and the New Green Economic Revolution” and “Hemp Bound: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Next Agricultural Revolution.”

William Martin, the Harry and Hazel Chavanne Senior Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at the Baker Institute and director of the institute’s Drug Policy Program, will present introductory remarks.

What: “Cannabinomics: The Impact of Cannabis and Hemp on America’s Economy and Public Safety” talk.

When: Monday, March 31, 7-8:30 p.m. A book signing will follow the event.

Where: Rice University, Baker Hall, Kelly International Conference Facility, 6100 Main St.

The U.S. is in the midst of a sea change in drug policy, according to event organizers. Nearly 80 percent of Americans support medical cannabis and 55 percent favor full legalization of adult social use of cannabis. With the legalization of cannabis in Colorado and Washington, American politicians seem to understand that a new era is underway, organizers said.

In his presentation Fine will discuss such questions as: What impact will legalized marijuana have on the U.S. economy? Will legalization raise tax revenues and reduce youth access and use? Will American farmers be able to use hemp as cash crop that can be used as an energy source?

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

A live webcast will be available at http://bakerinstitute.org/webcasts.

For a map of Rice University’s campus, go to www.rice.edu/maps/maps.html.

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Related materials:

Fine bio: http://dougfine.com/about

Martin bio: http://bakerinstitute.org/experts/william-martin

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top 15 university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.