Parabola Center for Law and Policy

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Parabola Center for Law and Policy

Parabola Center is a nonprofit think tank of cannabis policy experts coming together to protect peopl

06/16/2026

Join us Thursday, June 25 at 2:00 PM CT for “Beyond Legalization: Designing Reform That Repairs Harm and Centers Communities,” a free Public Research Series webinar hosted by the Cannabis Research Institute.

Our own Meredith McGee, Public Health Researcher at , joins Douglas Berman of at Ohio State for a conversation about what cannabis policy actually delivers once the laws pass.

Cannabis legalization gets debated in the abstract. But its design and its lived impact tell two very different stories.

Drawing on qualitative research across legal states and decades of legal scholarship, Meredith and Douglas dig into what it really takes to build policy that keeps its public health and equity promises, plus the unfinished work of repairing the harms of the war on drugs.

Live on Zoom with audience Q&A. Bring your questions.

Registration link in bio.

WarOnDrugs CannabisResearch ParabolaCenter

06/02/2026

Legalization was supposed to mean the state stops punishing you. So why do mothers in legal states still lose custody over cannabis? Why does possession still get people evicted? Why do w**d taxes still pay for the police?

Because reform that changes the penal code and nothing else leaves the rest of the machine intact. A new article by law professor Amber Baylor calls it what it is: a ceasefire that can be called off whenever the politics shift.

The fix is structural, borrowed from human rights law. Build the protections in across family, housing, and policing, or watch them disappear the next time the wind changes.

Read the full breakdown. Link in bio.

CannabisNews EndTheDrugWar RacialJustice ParabolaPapers

05/29/2026

Guess what? We’re back!!! And we’re never going to stop fighting for fair markets. Join Parabola for our 4th annual People Over Profits Crash Course and Leadership Training in Fort Lauderdale on July 17th and 18th.

If you were in Boston, Providence, or NYC with us, you know this event is where we dig deep, network hard, and build the collaborations and relationships that fuel our fire as we push back against monopolies and fight for systems that focus on improving communities and giving small businesses their rightful place in this industry. See what’s going down and come join us ✨ link in bio!

05/20/2026

Monday night in Albany. The Cannabis Industry Champion Awards, hosted by the Empire Cannabis Manufacturers Alliance, raised over $16,000 for the Bronx Cannabis Hub and Parabola Center.

The future of this industry is being decided right now by those with the most money and the loudest megaphones. Independent research and community work is the counterweight.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees: John Kagia, Assemblymember Landon Dais, Assemblymember Al Stirpe, Amy Abatti, and Dr. Junella Chin.

Thank you to ECMA and everyone who was in the room. Policymakers, licensees, advocates, all in the same place, all pulling in the same direction.

05/15/2026

We’ll be at Empire Cannabis Manufacturers Alliance Cannabis Industry Champion Awards Reception next Monday in Albany. Our founder is speaking for Parabola Center.

The event recognizes lawmakers and staff who’ve been doing the work to protect small cannabis businesses in New York State. Proceeds from this year’s reception go to Parabola Center and , two orgs in the fight for fair and equitable cannabis markets.

Mon, May 18 · 5:30 PM
Albany Black Chamber of Commerce
Free for gov employees. 50% off for social equity licensees.
RSVP @ link in bio

04/21/2026

New research from Penn State analyzed 36 cannabis policy characteristics across all 50 states.

The policies producing worse public health outcomes are the ones designed to maximize government revenue.

Swipe through to see how the researchers sorted state cannabis laws into three policy “bundles” and what each one is associated with.

Full analysis on The Parabola Papers. Link in bio.

04/20/2026

On April 26, our Senior Public Health Research Fellow Dr. Faith English joins Cannaversations Brunch in Boston for “Beyond Cannabis Legalization: Healthcare’s Role in Repairing Harm and Advancing Health Equity.”

Legalization alone does not repair the harm prohibition caused. Building a healthcare system that takes cannabis seriously, treats patients with dignity, and closes the equity gaps prohibition created is still ahead of us. This panel supports the first foundational Boston dataset at the intersection of cannabis and healthcare, research the field has been waiting on.

Joining Dr. English: Parabola Patient Access Advisor Drudys Ledbetter (Project Destigmatize Healthcare), Meghan Zaklin (ECS Wellness), and Shekia Scott (City of Boston), moderated by Kenya Alexander. Fireside to follow with Dr. Julie Johnson, Chief of Research at the MA Cannabis Control Commission, led by Mehka King.

📍 New Día, 71 Lansdowne Street, Boston
🗓️ April 26 | 11 AM - 2 PM | 21+

RSVP link in bio.

CannabisResearch ParabolaCenter

04/13/2026

Pennsylvania is on the brink of legalization, but will it build a fair market or hand it to the largest corporations? The difference comes down to one critical choice: who gets to sell. Other states rushed in and are now facing allegations of price-fixing, consolidation, and small businesses being shut out. Parabola’s latest piece breaks down how PA can avoid that fate. and why independent retail isn’t just policy, it’s protection against monopoly. Let us know in the comments if you agree.

Click the link in bio or story to read the full piece on Substack and subscribe to stay ahead on policy, strategy, and what it all means for the future of the industry.

If you’re at the Pennsylvania Cannabis Convention on April 18, join Parabola Center’s panel, “Built to Fail or Built to Last? Equity Lessons from Legal States,” at 2:00 PM. Policy experts and advocates from four states will discuss these issues and more.

03/20/2026

🔬 Ever wonder what it actually takes to do cannabis research right now?

We’re sitting down with some incredible voices in the space to talk about the hurdles, the breakthroughs, and the reality of studying cannabis in today’s regulatory environment.

Featuring:
🎙 Ben Adlin, Court Reporter at Law360 & Cannabis Journalist
🎙 Dr. Faith English, Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
🎙 Dr. Julie K. Johnson, Chief of Research at the MA Cannabis Control Commission
🎙 Shaleen Title, Moderator from Parabola Center for Law & Policy

Whether you’re deep in the research world, working in policy, or just genuinely curious about the science… this one’s worth your lunch break.

📅 Thursday, April 2, 2026
🕚 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM EST
🔗 RSVP: bit.ly/46SWrUM

PublicHealth

03/10/2026

Fourth year. New city. Bigger movement. Parabola’s People Over Profits Crash Course & Leadership Training is heading to Fort Lauderdale, July 17–18.

What began in Boston, continued through Providence and New York, now moves south as we bring together leaders working to build fair markets that strengthen communities instead of exploiting them.

Two days of strategy, policy, and leadership for people committed to putting people over profits. Join us as the movement keeps growing.

Get on our email list to be the first to know when registration opens (link in bio and stories) See you in FL!!

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https://www.parabolacenter.com/

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