Cannabis reform group wants your input

The Cannabis Reform Collaborative (CRC) is soliciting for public input and is inviting members of the community to submit their thoughts and research on the topic of cannabis reform. In order to assist them in reviewing submissions, the CRC are requesting that interested members of the public submit either:

(1) an opinion piece of a maximum of 500 words, or

(2) a detailed submission – considered to be any submission of 500+ words – in which case the following requirements must be included.

DETAILED SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR 500+ WORDS:

1. Title/Title Sheet – submissions may indicate whether the author(s) prefers to remain anonymous or have their submission made public in the final advisory document.

2. Area of Focus: Submissions should indicate which category is the focus of the paper, for example:

1. General/combined (list areas)

2. Legal/criminality

3. Medicinal

4. Social

5. Historical/facts

6. Other

3. Executive Summary – max 300-500 words - The summary/abstract will describe the salient points and issues raised in the submission.

4. Table of Contents - listing all sections of the submission

5. Headings for different sections if appropriate

6. Page numbering

7. Citations referenced as footnotes with applicable page numbers.

8. A bibliography/list of references

Reference must contain a minimum of the following:

1. Title and author of referenced study

2. Date of publication

3. Web link if applicable

9. Text size/Format: min 11-point text and 1.5 line spacing appreciated

10. Appendices - as required for detailed reference material.

11. Max Length: maximum of 3000 words unless a qualified professional is making a submission.

All submissions should include full name and contact details. The deadline for public submissions is Friday February 28, 2014 at 5:00pm and should be sent to [email protected] in either .pdf or .doc format with “Opinion Piece” or “Detailed Submission” in the subject line.

Additionally, the CRC is soliciting for members of the public to participate in focus groups being planned. The intention of the focus groups is to collect qualitative information from the public in a private and moderated setting. The overarching theme of the focus groups will be around cannabis and reform.

Once all names and information are collected, a total of 10 participants will be randomly selected for each focus group based on the demographic requirements.

Those selected will be contacted and invited to participate in organized focus groups located in the center of the island lasting no more than 2 hours. The CRC plans to hold a minimum of five focus groups.

If you are interested in participating, please send the following details with “Focus Group Participant” in the subject line to [email protected] by no later than 5:00pm on Thursday February 6, 2014.

Name

Phone Number

Email

Age Bracket: 18-35, 36-55, & 55 and over

Gender

Bermudian/Non Bermudian

Race

These two examples of community consultation are one of many opportunities to have your say in how Bermuda should proceed with Cannabis reform. The CRC looks forward to receiving public submissions and members of the public coming forward to participate in the planned focus groups. We thank the community for their assistance as we develop our final advisory document.

For more information, please visit: www.facebook.com/BDA.CRC or email [email protected]