U of G Prof. Tim Dewhirst’s op-ed on the marketing factors that could influence Canada’s recreational marijuana market appeared in the Toronto Star this week.

Dewhirst writes about the relentless flurry of media reports and commentaries that have swirled around the issue since the Government of Canada announced the timeline for legalizing cannabis. He sees the ongoing media attention as a sign of the significant impact the cannabis industry will have on Canadian society.

There are many unknown factors surrounding the cannabis market, he wrote, because very little in-depth analysis has gone into the marketing and economic regulation of the product. There is the possibility of “volatile and potentially unethical marketing,” he said.

A professor in U of G’s Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies since 2007, Dewhirst studies several areas of marketing, including the influence marketing has on society, marketing research methods, and sports, arts and entertainment marketing.

His broad research interests include brand strategy, business ethics, marketing and public policy, marketing and society, and marketing history. He has conducted in-depth analysis of marketing in the tobacco industry.