Dana Passmore, MPPA
I ended up in the SPPA thanks to a series of contributing forces. I was studying criminology in my undergrad and became interested in the idea of policy analysis after cannabis was legalized in 2018. Knowing that an unprecedented legalization framework would be put into force on the national level got me interested in how legalization would work, so I got a job in a regulated cannabis shop a month after the AGCO cleared them to open in 2019.
From there, I started attending cannabis policy conferences and absolutely fell in love with the idea of pursuing research on cannabis justice and the practical shortcomings of the Canadian legalization framework. I did my undergrad at Carleton and knew that it housed a school of public policy with a global reputation for excellence, and with the timing of legalization, it honestly felt like I was destined to go on to complete a MPPA research project at the same university that moulded my passion for critical research. And here we are, on track to do just that!
My time so far in the SPPA has not gone as I had expected prior to starting the semester, but I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. I am so thankful to have met so many like-minded peers, to have the opportunity to gain knowledge on policy issues I had never considered, and to engage with working professionals in the public and non-profit sectors where I could one day see myself working.