Speaking
Dr. Bear speaks at international policy conferences, government bodies, and professional forums on cannabis regulation, criminal justice reform, harm reduction policy, and evidence-based practice in public institutions. He is available for keynote presentations, panel discussions, workshop facilitation, and media commentary. Speaking and media inquiries can be directed to daniel@responsum.ca.
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Expert Testimony and Government Advisory
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Dr. Bear has been formally qualified as an expert witness in criminal justice policy by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and has provided expert evidence, testimony, and advisory input to courts and government bodies undertaking formal reviews of drug policy and cannabis regulation.
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In October 2024 Dr. Bear provided expert evidence in R v Smith, 2025 ONSC 1828, a constitutional challenge to provisions of Canada's Cannabis Act before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The case examined whether the bar on conditional discharges for cannabis distribution offences was consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including arguments about the disproportionate impact of cannabis enforcement on Black and Indigenous people. Dr. Bear was qualified as an expert in criminal justice policy and gave evidence on racial disparities in cannabis-related arrests following legalization.
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Dr. Bear provided an expert affidavit in Lavoie v. The Government of Manitoba, 2023 MBKB 146, the constitutional challenge to Manitoba's ban on residential cannabis cultivation. His affidavit and research were subsequently provided in support of the parallel Quebec proceedings, Murray-Hall v. Quebec (Attorney General), 2023 SCC 10, in which the Manitoba applicants intervened as a party. The Supreme Court of Canada heard that case in 2023, making it one of the first significant constitutional rulings on cannabis regulation in Canada since legalization.
In February 2023 he provided testimony to Canada's Cannabis Act Expert Panel, the independent federal body appointed by the Ministers of Health and Mental Health and Addictions to conduct the first statutory review of Canada's Cannabis Act. Dr. Bear spoke to cannabis education and engagement with young people, drawing on his research on how young Canadians make decisions about cannabis consumption.
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In June 2023 he provided oral evidence to the London Drugs Commission, the independent body established by London Mayor Sadiq Khan to conduct a comprehensive international review of cannabis use, impact, and policing in London. The commission gathered written and oral evidence from over 200 experts and academics from London, the UK, and around the world. Dr. Bear spoke to lessons from Canadian legalization, including the impact on policing and the development of harm reduction-oriented regulatory frameworks, and drew on his earlier research on drugs policing in London to address how UK drug law reform could benefit the city.
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Media
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Dr. Bear contributes regularly to broadcast and podcast media on cannabis policy, harm reduction, and criminal justice. Television and radio appearances include CBC, BBC News, BBC World News, ZDF, Global News, CHCH, and City TV. Print and online coverage includes The Globe and Mail, The Guardian, Policy Options, The Toronto Star, Maclean's, and The Canadian Press. Recent podcast appearances include Cannabis Law on Earth and Business of Cannabis Live.
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On the day that Canada legalized cannabis in 2018, the BBC turned to Dr. Bear for comment.
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Selected Conference and Forum Presentations
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2025 — ASTM International Conference on Overcoming Barriers to Entry in Cannabis and Hemp Industries — Online Blazing Trails: Lessons from Africa's Cannabis Frontiers
2025 — Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs Expert Meeting — Gaborone, Botswana Cannabis Regulatory Frameworks, Their Implications, and Their Implementations
2025 — Grow Up Conference — Toronto, ON Combatting Illicit Competition: Retail Associations Supporting Safe Cannabis Access in Ontario
2024 — Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs High-Level Consultation — Maputo, Mozambique Canadian Experiences of Legalization of Non-Medical Cannabis
2024 — International Society for the Study of Drug Policy — Montreal, QC More Doctors Smoke Camels: Developing Guidelines for Cannabis Researchers Working with Industry
2023 — International Society for the Study of Drug Policy — Leuven, Belgium Vaping Under the Landlord's Nose: Understanding Considerations Cannabis Consumers Have When Deciding How to Consume
2023 — Harm Reduction International Conference — Melbourne, Australia (virtual) More Than One Kind of Expert: Responses to Proposed Harm Reduction Campaign Materials by Cannabis Consumers, Budtenders, and Policy
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2023 — Issues of Substance Conference, CCSA — Vancouver, BC Young People as Cannabis Peer Educators for Friends and Family
2022 — International Society for the Study of Drug Policy — Lisbon, Portugal 4 Years, 484 Expungements, and $43.5 Billion in GDP: Exploring the Impact of Legalized Cannabis on Canada
2022 — Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine Conference — Saskatoon, SK Identifying How to Best Engage Young-Adult Cannabis Consumers with Information About Safe Cannabis Consumption Practices
2022 — Oregon State University Virtual Cannabis Research Conference — Eugene, OR (virtual) Targeting Cannabis Education
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2020 — Ontario Good Roads Association Conference — Ontario Implicit Bias and How to Combat It
2020 — New York Academy of Medicine — Albany, NY 75 Years on from LaGuardia: Marijuana Reform and Public Health in New York
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2019 — Drugs and Alcohol on Campus Canada Conference — Toronto, ON Understanding Post-Secondary Cannabis Users and Who They Trust
2019 — International Society for the Study of Drug Policy — Paris, France Making Decisions About Cannabis: Issues Impacting Young People's Decisions in a Legalized Environment
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2018 — Ontario Good Roads Association Managing Winter Operations Workshop — Mississauga, ON Cannabis and Impaired Driving: What We Know and What Legalization Will Change
2017 — International Society for the Study of Drug Policy — Aarhus, Denmark Drug Policy Differentiation: Accommodating Diversity and Marginality
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2017 — Safety, Licensing Appeals and Standards Tribunals Ontario (SLASTO), Ministry of the Attorney General — Professional Development Day What Makes for Good Community Policing and the Future of Community Policing in Ontario
2016 — International Society for the Study of Drug Policy — Sydney, Australia From Toques to Tokes: The Challenges Facing Regulated Cannabis Sales in Canada
2015 — International Society for the Study of Drug Policy — Ghent, Belgium Creating a Narrative About Your Target: How Street-Level Police Officers in London Understand Their Role in Targeting Drugs
2012 — British Society of Criminology Conference — Portsmouth, UK Catching Small Fish with a Big Hammer: Exploring the Intersection of Drugs Policing and Community Policing in a London Borough
2009 — International Drug Policy Reform Conference — Albuquerque, NM What Britain Can Teach the US About Managing Drug Problems
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Speaking Inquiries
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For speaking and media requests, contact Dr. Bear directly at daniel@responsum.ca.