Mark Warner Interviewed About the risks of Canada Facing a Trade Challenge for not Permitting Imports of Medical Cannabis

Mark Warner was quoted in Marijuana Business Daily about the risks of Canada facing a trade challenge for not permitting imports of medical cannabis while permitting exports of medical cannabis. (September 1, 2020) Mark is a Canadian and U.S. lawyer who has practiced in Toronto, Washington, DC and New York and has advised governments on trade policy and trade negotiations and previously worked on trade and competition issues as counsel in the OECD Trade Directorate. Mark is also a former Acting Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services which provided oversight to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and the Vintners Quality Alliance Ontario (VQA) and as Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade participated in the Canada-European Union Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiations, including with respect to trade in alcoholic beverages and Monopolies and State Enterprises and on IP, patent litigation and drug reimbursement issues. As Legal Director, Mark also provided advice on the design of the Green Energy Act and related WTO dispute settlement proceedings, advised on NAFTA Chapter 11 investor-state arbitration and trade disputes (including softwood lumber), and on procurement issues in the Canada-U.S. Agreement on Government Procurement.

Mark has assisted pharmaceutical clients in the global distribution of HIV / AIDS anti-retroviral drugs and the development of innovative patient access programs in the developing world and advised a U.S.-based pharmaceutical company on competition law issues relating to the distribution of various nuclear medicine imaging agents in Canada. As Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, Mark also led Ontario’s legal team in creating the $250 million Ontario Emerging Technologies Fund with an emphasis on life-sciences companies and advised on legal and corporate governance issues in the formation of Clinical Trials Ontario.