Contested framing of cannabis legalization policy in Ontario: A thematic content analysis of newspaper coverage

This article explores the Ontario newspaper framing of non-medical cannabis legalization in the years prior to and after legalization through inductive content analysis of newspaper articles. The predominant discourse in Ontario was regarding economics and the change in provincial government leadership. The coverage also shifted from a negative tone pre-legalization to neutral and positive post-legalization. These findings underscore the relationship between political dynamics and media framing in shaping public discourse on potentially contentious topics.