Cultivating cannabis markets: How infrastructure work made Colorado's legal cannabis industry successful

• In Event: 40860 - Section on Economic Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 6. Atypical markets

Abstract

How do individuals and organizations create the foundational elements that underpin a market? This study examines how cannabis reform pioneers established a market infrastructure for Colorado's cannabis industry after it was reclassified from medical to recreational (legal). While previous studies have provided valuable insights into market infrastructures, relatively little attention has been given to their development. Building on the concept of "infrastructure work," this study investigates the role of cannabis reformers in driving regulatory change and shaping the emerging infrastructure of the cannabis market. I find that infrastructure work facilitates the circulation of knowledge, the implementation of expertise, and the promotion of norms. I also find that infrastructure work is inherently relational, as it contributes to building trust in the new legal system among market participants by alleviating the uncertainties associated with it, while enhancing the legitimacy of the new industry among regulators.

Author

• Anne Philibert, Institut de recherche en sociologie, UNIGE