Evaluating the impact of Canadian cannabis legalization on cannabis use outcomes in emerging adults: Comparisons to a US control sample via a natural experiment
Findings suggest that cannabis legalization was associated with smaller reductions in cannabis use frequency and adverse consequences than expected in the Canadian sample compared to the American control sample. Although the magnitude of these impacts was small, these findings suggest the start of diverging cannabis trajectories. Given that effects of legalization are hypothesized to be long-term rather than immediate, further monitoring of the impacts of cannabis legalization on developmental trends in cannabis use and related consequences is warranted.
Authors
- Amanda Doggett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8538-432X)
- Kyla Belisario (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5403-9531)
- James G. Murphy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9378-8754)
- James M. MacKillop (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8695-1071)
- Mahmood Reza Gohari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4289-2022)
- Scott T. Leatherdale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5926-3065)
- André J. McDonald (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1734-5067)
Institutions
- University of Waterloo (CA)
- St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (CA)
- University of Memphis (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal of Drug Policy
- Published
- 2024-12-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104686
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.69