Youth Cannabis use and Legalization in Canada – Reconsidering the Fears, Myths and Facts Three Years In

Original research
by
Haines-Saah, Rebecca & Benedikt Fischer

Release Date

2021

Geography

Canada

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

Yes

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

No

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

We reconsider the arguments made about the potential consequences of legalization for youth, centered on three key concerns: that prevalence would significantly increase, that there would be greater incidence of harms to youth brain development, and that there would be increased presentations of severe mental illnesses associated with cannabis use

Findings/Key points

Three years into the legalization of marijuana in Canada, there was no marked increase in cannabis usage among youth. This finding is consistent with analyses of youth in other countries.

Keywords

Evidence base
Policy/Regulatory
Decriminalization/legalization
Equity
Youth