Ethics and Responsible Business Forum to Weigh Pros and Cons of Cannabis Legalization

SEASIDE, Ca., March 6, 2019 – California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) will host the 17th Ethics and Responsible Business Forum Wednesday, March 13, 2019 from 3-5 p.m. at CSUMB’s University Center. The Ethics and Responsible Business Forum is designed for students, professionals and community members to discuss and debate the ethical dilemmas associated with contemporary developments in society.

Cofounder & Chief Compliance and Information Officer at Cannacraft, Tiffany Devitt.

This year the forum will discuss the timely and relevant issue of cannabis legalization and commercialization. In a debate-style presentation, two renowned keynote speakers will respectively speak to the benefits and perils of cannabis legalization. Panelists with ethical, business, regulatory and health expertise will offer their viewpoints and raise pertinent questions on the issue.

Keynote Speakers Include:

• Tiffany Devitt (Affirmative) Cofounder & Chief Compliance and Information Officer at Cannacraft; North Bay Women in Business Award Recipient.
• Howard C. Samuels (Negative) Licensed Therapist, leading expert in alcohol and substance abuse, Founder of The Hills Treatment Center, Board of Directors for the Friendly House, Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

Licensed Therapist, leading expert in alcohol and substance abuse and Founder of The Hills Treatment Center, Howard C. Samuels.

The objective of the forum is to determine whether the benefits of legalization outweigh the costs. Some critical questions that may be raised include:

• Do the benefits of increased jobs, tax revenue, product safety, and consumer choice outweigh health risks due to over-use and addiction, impaired performance and road/work safety, impact on vulnerable populations (e.g. youth, low-income), and self-medication?
• Does commercialization of recreational marijuana affect the market for medical marijuana?
• Will the marijuana industry do justice to those historically criminalized?
• What are the concrete implications of having a growing cannabis industry in Monterey County?
• What ethical principles are being used to argue for and against legalization: virtue, needs for concrete others, or benefits for the greater good?

This year’s event is a collaborative event organized by CSUMB’s College of Business, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science and the College of Health Sciences and Human Services.

Hosting open community events is in keeping with CSUMB’s role as a community resource, providing forums for provocative discussions that can impact thought and action on issues important to our community. Last year, over 320 students, faculty, and community members attended the event.