ABOUT US
Better Data. Better Policy. Better Outcomes.
Cannabis Public Policy Consulting (CPPC) was established by public health professionals and former controlled substance regulators to shift the national discussion on cannabis policymaking. We began our work in 2019 to answer policymakers’ most pressing question: How do we effectively regulate cannabis in a way that protects public health, fosters public safety, and promotes equity?
Now, with data-informed consulting, CPPC is focused on answering society’s latest question: How do we improve cannabis markets, cannabis-related health outcomes, and equity outcomes?
Frustrated by out-of-date, two-year-delayed data collection on cannabis use through federal surveillance and the lack of data and policy evaluation deployed by states, CPPC has evolved to be the premier provider of original research and data science, and operationalizing insights for policy and program improvements.
Our mission is to embed advanced data and our implementation science expertise in cannabis policymaking to protect public health and safety, promote equity, and increase cannabis industry sustainability.
Experts Across the Cannabis Legalization Continuum
We offer a multidisciplinary approach to data-informed policymaking decisions. This includes insights from specialists in public policy, behavioral economics, psychology, public health and safety, governance and law, and technology.
While helping states prepare for future federal changes, we support the development of innovative legalization policies at the state level that benefit society, encourage innovation, reduce friction in cannabis business relationships, and aim to decrease the frequency and societal cost of cannabis-related harms.
Our Leadership
Mackenzie Slade, MPH
Executive Director
Mackenzie Slade is a public health professional and trained implementation scientist specializing in the execution and evaluation of cannabis programs. As the Executive Director of Cannabis Public Policy Consulting LLC, Ms. Slade specializes in translating original research and data insights into practice to identify areas of program improvement, conceptualize and test policy and program interventions, and evaluate the success of these changes. Ms. Slade has successfully planned, implemented, and continuously improved upon numerous cannabis programs across the country at all levels of government, including tribal. As one of the few government consultants with robust on the ground implementation experience, Ms. Slade is a called-upon expert for strategizing cannabis program policies and roll out, including applications and licensing processes, cannabis testing procedures, data collection planning, market evaluation plans, and risk reduction tactics. Ms. Slade has a master’s in public health from UCLA.
Michael Sofis, PhD
Director of Research
Dr. Sofis leads data analytics, research, and product innovation at CPPC, providing products and services for state agencies, digital technology companies, nonprofit organizations, and scientific collaborators. He has led the development of the Regulatory Determinants of Cannabis Outcomes Survey and the Cannabis Policy Simulation Lab.
Dr. Sofis leads public health–focused research projects designed to better understand and mitigate problematic cannabis use. He has led cannabis research studies commissioned by cannabis regulatory agencies in multiple U.S. states and is currently leading a pilot project testing the efficacy of a digital intervention for reducing problematic cannabis use.
Dr. Sofis received his PhD in behavioral psychology at the University of Kansas and completed a three-year post-doctoral fellowship at Dartmouth College funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. He has published 27 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, including 13 on the impacts of cannabis legalization and cannabis health outcomes. Dr. Sofis has received multiple federal grants amounting to over $1 million.