Marijuannaresearch

Project Proposal

By

GENERAL TOPIC

The legalisation of a marijuana industry in Ireland.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

With a growing number of countries in the world legalising or decriminalising marijuana in some form or other, there is an opportunity for Ireland to benefit economically if government policy and regulations allow for-profit business models to operate in the event of legalisation of the industry.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the alternative policy options and where have they been implemented?

2. What are the demographics of people using marijuana in Ireland?

3. How much money is spent illicitly on marijuana every year in Ireland?

4. What is the financial burden of current regulatory conditions in the policing of marijuana on the country?

5. How much tax revenue could be generated for the country?

6. Would the addition of tax on the price of marijuana make it competitive with the black market?

7. What retail opportunities would be created in the domestic market?

8. What are the types of primary and secondary production activities that could be introduced?

9. What tertiary commercial opportunities would be created with the introduction of the industry?

10. What are the possibilities of large scale production for export markets?

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

General objective:

To assess the economic impact the legalisation of a marijuana industry would have on Ireland.

Specific objectives:

1. To identify alternative policy and regulatory measures imposed elsewhere and to evaluate the findings.

2. To establish the consumption levels of various types of marijuana users and how ending prohibition would affect them.

3. To quantify the monetary significance current legal conditions impose on state resources.

4. To calculate various taxing methods and the effect they would have on the state and industry stakeholders.

5. To identify potential commercial opportunities for Irish businesses created by the introduction of the...