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Objective: We considered the utility of National College Health Assessment (NCHA) data relative to other national data for studying college students' cannabis use and binge drinking, and drug policy effects. Participants: Survey data on 18–22-year old college students were drawn from the 2008–2018 NCHA, National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), Monitoring the Future (MTF), and Healthy Minds Study (HMS). Methods: Prevalence estimates were compared across data sources in terms of level and change from 2008–2018 using linear regressions, separately for men and women. Results: Mean prevalence estimates for 30-day cannabis use and 2-week binge drinking, and linear time trends did not differ significantly among NCHA, NSDUH, and MTF. Conclusions: NCHA prevalence estimates are similar to those from NSDUH and MTF, NCHA has unique strengths, and some weaknesses can be offset. Findings support the value of NCHA for studying college students' substance use and effects of drug policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To measure the association between state cannabis policies and use among adults and youth in the United States from 2002 to 2019, given rapid policy liberalization and complex state cannabis policy environments. Design: Repeated cross‐sectional time series analysis. Three sets of models assessed the linear association between the Cannabis Policy Scale (CPS), an aggregate measure of 17 state cannabis policy areas that weights each policy by its efficacy and implementation rating, and prevalence of cannabis use. The first included year and state fixed effects; the second added state‐level controls; the third replaced state fixed effects with state random effects. Standard errors were clustered at the state level in all models. Setting and participants: United States. Measurements Past‐month prevalence of cannabis use is from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health Small Area Estimates, a nationally and state‐representative cross‐sectional survey of household population ages 12 and older for years 2002–2003 to 2018–2019. Exposure data include the CPS. Findings A 10 percentage‐point increase in the CPS (i.e. greater cannabis policy restrictiveness) was associated with lower past‐month use prevalence by 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI] = ‐1.05 to −0.56) to 0.97 (95% CI = ‐1.19 to −0.75) percentage‐points for the population ages 12 years and older. When models were stratified by age, a 10 percentage‐point increase in the CPS was associated with a 0.87 (95% CI = ‐1.13 to −0.61) to 1.04 percentage‐point (95% CI = ‐1.03 to −0.84) reduction in past‐month use prevalence for adults ages 18 years and older, and a 0.17 (95% CI = ‐0.24 to −0.09) to 0.21 percentage‐point (95% CI = ‐0.35 to −0.07) reduction for youth ages 12–17 years. Conclusions: More restrictive US cannabis policies appear to be associated with reduced cannabis use for both adults and youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently, 24 states have legalized adult use (recreational) cannabis, each following medical-only access. Although states that pass adult use laws report substantial declines in the number of registered medical patients, these laws expand the market, potentially enhancing patient benefits. However, research on federal adult use cannabis legislation in Canada suggests that adult use laws negatively impact medical patients. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine medical cannabis patients’ perceptions of the impact of adult use cannabis laws in the US. We conducted an online survey with forced choice and open-ended questions in a convenience sample of 505 medical cannabis patients. Quantitative analysis indicated that adult use laws decreased stress and legal concerns, and that patient perceptions of cannabis product quality and availability were higher, but prices were also higher. Qualitative analysis largely aligned with quantitative findings, however data were somewhat divergent on price and product availability (with some patients reporting lower prices and accessibility issues). Mixed-methods analysis revealed that legalization also reduced patients’ experience of social stigma. Addressing the patient concerns revealed by these data may help to restore or maintain patient access to affordable, medically relevant cannabis products as additional states merge medical cannabis programs into adult use paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Canada has one of the highest prevalence of cannabis use globally, particularly among young adults aged 20–24 (50%) and youth aged 16–19 (37%). In 2018, Canada legalized recreational cannabis with the aim of protecting youth by restricting their access and raising public awareness of health risks. However, there has been limited qualitative research on the perceptions of harms associated with youth cannabis use since legalization, which is crucial for developing effective harm reduction strategies. This qualitative study examined perceptions of cannabis use among youth from the perspectives of youth, parents, and service providers. We explored how participants described the perceived risks or harms associated with youth cannabis use, as well as how they described their own and others' approaches to reducing cannabis-related risks and harms. Methods: This qualitative study used a community-based participatory research approach in partnership with Families for Addiction Recovery (FAR), a national charity founded by parents of youth and young adults with addiction issues. Virtual semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The study included 88 participants from three key groups (n = 31 youth, n = 26 parents, n = 31 service providers). Two main themes emerged regarding perceived risks or harms associated with cannabis use: (1) concerns about cannabis-related risks and harms, including addiction, brain development, impact on family, and various adverse effects on areas such as motivation, concentration, finances, employment, education, physical and mental health; and (2) minimization of risks and harms, featuring conflicting messages, normalization, and perceptions of cannabis being less harmful than other substances. Additionally, two themes related to harm reduction approaches were identified: (1) implementation of harm reduction, and (2) challenges in implementing a harm reduction approach. Specific challenges for each participant group were noted, along with structural barriers such as unavailable and inaccessible services, easy access to cannabis, inadequate public education, and insufficient information on lower-risk cannabis use guidelines. Conclusions: Youth cannabis use is a significant public health concern that requires a multi-pronged approach. Developing youth-centered harm reduction strategies that recognize the developmental needs and vulnerabilities of youth, as well as the important role of families, is imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Since 1996, 38 US states have legalized access to cannabis (medical and/or adult‐use recreational). We aimed to estimate the effect of three dimensions of state cannabis policy design – pharmaceutical, permissive and fiscal – on levels of overall, alcohol‐impaired, occupant, light truck and pedestrian fatality rates. Design and setting: Observational study of US states' overall, alcohol‐impaired, occupant, light truck and pedestrian fatalities between 1994 and 2020. Cases: The unit of analysis was at the state level, consisting of 50 states and 27 years of time series data, resulting in a total of 1350 state‐year observations. Measurements Fatality rates associated with alcohol‐impaired, pedestrian, total occupant, passenger car and light truck fatality rates were obtained from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and normalized per 10 billion vehicle miles traveled. State cannabis policies are measured in three bundles (scales): pharmaceutical, permissive and fiscal. Findings The pharmaceutical bundle was associated with increases in all fatality rates [β = 0.145; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.116–0.173; P < 0.000]. The permissive bundle was associated with lower overall fatality rates (β = −0.319; 95% CI = −0.361 to −0.277; P < 0.000). The fiscal bundle was generally associated with higher fatality rates (β = 0.062; 95% CI = 0.043–0.081; P < 0.000), occupant (β = 0.070; 95% CI = 0.042–0.098; P < 0.000), light trucks (β = 0.049; 95% CI = 0.026–0.072; P < 0.000). Conclusions: US state cannabis regulations influence traffic safety. Greater permissiveness in US state cannabis regulations does not appear to correlate with traffic fatality rate increases, but greater medicalization and fiscal operation does. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundIn U.S. states that legalized and commercialized recreational cannabis, cannabis sales in illegal markets are still sizable or even larger than those in legal markets. This study aimed to assess cannabis consumers' preferences for purchasing cannabis from legal and illegal markets and estimate the trade-offs under various policy scenarios.Methods963 adults were recruited, who used cannabis in the past year and lived in a state with recreational cannabis legalization. In a discrete choice experiment, participants chose purchasing cannabis from a legal dispensary or an illegal dealer with varying levels in product attributes including quality, safety, accessibility, potency, and price. Mixed logit models were used to analyze preferences.ResultsThe likelihood of choosing legal cannabis increased with a higher quality, the presence of lab test, a shorter distance to seller, a higher tetrahydrocannabinol level, and a lower price. The likelihood of choosing illegal cannabis increased with a higher quality, a shorter distance to seller, and a lower price. Among product attributes, quality and accessibility were perceived to be the most important for legal cannabis and price was perceived to be the most important for illegal cannabis. Policy simulations predicted that improving quality, ensuring safety, allowing delivery services, increasing dispensary density, and lowering prices/taxes of legal cannabis may reduce illegal cannabis market share.ConclusionsIn the U.S., cannabis consumers' preferences for illegal cannabis were associated with both legal and illegal cannabis product attributes. Policies regulating legal cannabis markets should consider potential spillover effects to illegal markets.

There are known health concerns linked to prenatal tobacco and cannabis exposures. This study aims to objectively determine the level of exposure to tobacco and cannabis in pregnant individuals from six race/ethnicity groups (Black, Hispanic, Asian Indian, Native American, Vietnamese, and White) in the first three years following legalization of recreational marijuana use in 2018 in California. We used a cross-sectional sample of prenatal screening program participants (2018-2020) from southern and central California (N = 925). Exposures were estimated by a lab analysis of cotinine (tobacco) and 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (OH-THC, cannabis) in banked serum. Disparities in tobacco exposure were evident, with Black subjects experiencing the highest smoking rate (16%) followed by Native American (10%) and White (8%) subjects, and ≤2% among Hispanic, Asian Indian, and Vietnamese subjects. Environmental tobacco exposure generally showed a similar pattern of exposure to tobacco smoking across race/ethnicity groups. Cannabis detection ranged from 5% among Hispanic subjects to 12% and 13% among White and Black subjects, respectively, and was higher among tobacco users and those exposed to environmental tobacco smoke than those with no cotinine detected. Tobacco and cannabis exposure were generally greatest in younger subjects and those with indices of a lower economic status; however, among Black subjects, cannabis exposure was greatest in older subjects and those with a higher socioeconomic status. Race/ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic factors can inform targeting of high-exposure groups for intervention.

To date, there is considerable evidence of the medical applications of cannabis, however concerns regarding the safety of cannabis are also mounting. To improve the safety of cannabis, nine states have added medical cannabis to their state PDMPs, helping providers to take patient cannabis use into consideration when making prescribing decisions. Across a variety of models using Medicaid State Drug Utilization claims data, I find statistically significant reductions in severely and moderately contraindicated medication fills across two outcomes. In my main specification, adding cannabis to a state PDMP is associated with a 14.4% (p < 0.01) and 7.74% (p < 0.001) decrease in the units per prescription, for severely and moderately contraindicated medications, respectively, as compared to states with legal medical cannabis dispensaries open. An interesting spillover effect of adding cannabis to PDMPs is an apparent decrease in the prescribing of scheduled narcotics, with Schedule II medications seeing a moderately significant decrease and Schedule IV medications seeing a 11.4% decrease (p < 0.01) in the prescribing rate and a 16.2% decrease (p < 0.001) in the units per prescription. The main analysis was conducted using the Borusyak et al. (2023) Imputation Estimator with a robustness check using the Callaway and Sant'Anna (2021) difference‐in‐difference. This work presents evidence that adding cannabis to a state PDMP impacts provider prescribing decisions involving medications that are contraindicated for use with cannabis as well as controlled substances. This paper demonstrates that adding cannabis to PDMPs influences prescribing and thus has the potential to make medical cannabis use safer. Conversely, this work indicates providers may have bias against patients who use cannabis and deny them life‐improving medications (like controlled ADHD medication or opioids) on the basis of medical cannabis use. This paper also contributes to the literature comparing DD outcomes estimated using Borusyak, Jaravel, and Spiess' (2023) Imputation Estimator and Callaway and Sant'Anna's (2021) DD Estimator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In U.S. states that legalized and commercialized recreational cannabis, cannabis sales in illegal markets are still sizable or even larger than those in legal markets. This study aimed to assess cannabis consumers’ preferences for purchasing cannabis from legal and illegal markets and estimate the trade-offs under various policy scenarios. Methods 963 adults were recruited, who used cannabis in the past year and lived in a state with recreational cannabis legalization. In a discrete choice experiment, participants chose purchasing cannabis from a legal dispensary or an illegal dealer with varying levels in product attributes including quality, safety, accessibility, potency, and price. Mixed logit models were used to analyze preferences. Results The likelihood of choosing legal cannabis increased with a higher quality, the presence of lab test, a shorter distance to seller, a higher tetrahydrocannabinol level, and a lower price. The likelihood of choosing illegal cannabis increased with a higher quality, a shorter distance to seller, and a lower price. Among product attributes, quality and accessibility were perceived to be the most important for legal cannabis and price was perceived to be the most important for illegal cannabis. Policy simulations predicted that improving quality, ensuring safety, allowing delivery services, increasing dispensary density, and lowering prices/taxes of legal cannabis may reduce illegal cannabis market share. Conclusions In the U.S., cannabis consumers’ preferences for illegal cannabis were associated with both legal and illegal cannabis product attributes. Policies regulating legal cannabis markets should consider potential spillover effects to illegal markets.

The Cannabis for Private Purposes Act, enacted in South Africa in 2024, marks a significant shift in national drug policy by legalizing private cannabis use while aiming to balance individual privacy rights with public health and safety. This paper examines the Act's impacts on socioeconomic dynamics, public health, and crime within South Africa, a context shaped by poverty, inequality, and strained healthcare resources. The study highlights potential economic benefits, such as job creation and formal market opportunities, alongside risks, including increased pressure on mental health services and complex implications for crime and gender-based violence. Drawing from government reports, recent studies, and international case comparisons, the analysis reveals how legalization might reduce the burden on the criminal justice system while also introducing challenges in public safety and healthcare capacity. The findings emphasize the need for robust governance frameworks that prioritize health system preparedness, social protections, and crime prevention. The discussion provides targeted policy recommendations for government agencies, healthcare providers, and law enforcement, addressing the importance of public education, regulatory oversight, and mental health support. This study offers valuable insights into the nuanced consequences of cannabis legalization in an emerging economy, contributing to global discussions on drug policy. By aligning policy with the realities of public health and safety, South Africa can leverage the potential benefits of legalization while mitigating its social costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research which shows that reduced legal restrictions on cannabis is linked to cannabis use prevalence as of 2025. Topics covered include the negative brain development effect of its frequent use among young adults, its high risk for cannabis use disorder (CUD), and the sound approach of considering the environmental and social contexts in state policies on cannabis use. Also noted is the possible downscale of policies to the neighborhood, family and peer levels of users.

For rural regions of British Columbia (BC) with a legacy of cannabis production, legalization brings insights into the dynamics of these rural communities, shedding light on the extent to which local residents are actively engaged in shaping their futures. Drawing on 56 interviews with government representatives and legacy cannabis participants from BC’s Kootenay region, a qualitative thematic analysis based on the underpinnings of transitioning economies and stakeholder participation highlights the necessity of building trust for successful legalization in the Kootenays. Three main issues, rooted in prohibition and centred around distrust, emerge as findings. First, federal government participants exhibited skepticism towards cannabis participants, which affected cannabis participants’ input during policy formulation due to a perceived criminal past and ties to organized crime. Second, cannabis participants largely reciprocated this distrust towards the federal government, understanding their believed past criminality led to exclusion from policymaking, and voicing their suspicion of government motives that favoured government participation, corporate interests, and taxation. Third, local government representatives expressed sentiments of exclusion from federal decision-making and dissatisfaction with Health Canada's management of personal medical license complaints during prohibition, revealing inter-government distrust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the implications of cannabis legalization on adolescent health behaviors. This study sought to examine the relationship between recreational cannabis legalization and adolescent sexual risk behaviors. Data on 371,487 respondents who have ever had sexual intercourse from 41 states in the 2005 to 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey was linked with data on state-level cannabis policies. Difference-in-differences logistic regression models were conducted. Recreational cannabis legalization was associated with a reduced likelihood of respondents having 2+ sexual partners (adjusted OR [aOR] 0.63, 95% CI [0.47, 0.84]), but had no association with condom use (aOR 0.94, 95% CI [0.80, 1.11]). Changing social norms around cannabis is a potential pathway linking cannabis legalization to a reduction in sexual risk behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data on banking transactions, we analyse how people changed their spending behaviour when recreational cannabis became legal in Canada. In the data set, we identify people with purchases in a cannabis store after legalization. We apply a difference-in-difference approach to compare their spending before and after legalization. People with cannabis purchases after legalization reduced significantly and persistently their cash spending and electronic transfers, indicating a shift from the black to the legal cannabis market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractCannabis-related tweets were collected between January and April 2022 to estimate the availability and characteristics of cannabis products advertised on Twitter amid the legalization of recreational cannabis in Thailand. The Twitter API was called using the tweepy Python library to collect cannabis-related tweets in the Thai language. A total of 185,558 unique tweets were collected over the duration of the data collection period based on 83 search terms. Twenty thousand random tweets were manually coded by four Thai native speakers to assess the volume and characteristics of tweets proposing cannabis. 72.6% of collected tweets from the 20,000 random samples were coded as relevant to the study. 54.6% of relevant tweets were advertising cannabis products, 29.8% were personal communications, and 15.6% were related to news or media content. Among the tweets that advertised cannabis products, 94.4% proposed cannabis flower, 2.4% cannabis edibles and 1.8% cannabis concentrates. Consumption of potent forms of cannabis such as cannabis edibles and concentrates increase the risk of harmful side-effects, especially in a population with limited knowledge about these products. Our findings call for additional monitoring efforts and for increasing the public awareness on potent cannabis products emerging in Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies of recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) have assessed adolescents both before and after RCL or considered moderators of RCL effects. The present study tested whether RCL was more strongly associated with cannabis use for girls and among youth whose parents had a history of cannabis use during adolescence. Data were pooled from 940 adolescents from three intergenerational studies that began in Washington (where RCL was enacted in 2012), Oregon (RCL year = 2015), and New York (RCL year = 2021). Youth were assessed repeatedly from ages 13 to 18 years (k = 3,650 person–years) from 1999 to 2020 (prior to RCL in New York). Parent cannabis use at or before age 18 years (yes/no) was assessed prospectively during the parent's adolescence. Multilevel models focused on the between-subjects effects of years of youth exposure to RCL on adolescents' mean cannabis use likelihood, and interactions with child sex and parent use history. Child exposure to RCL was associated with a higher likelihood of cannabis use if their parents had a history of adolescent use, (Estimate [SE] = 0.67 [0.25], p = 0.008), versus no such history (Estimate [SE] = −0.05 [0.28], p = 0.855). RCL effects were not moderated by child sex. The effects of RCL on adolescents' cannabis use may depend on their parents' history of using the drug. Identifying other moderators of RCL effects, and understanding the mechanisms of these risks and the ways that parents and communities can offset them, are prevention priorities. (1) Adolescents' use of cannabis may have intergenerational consequences, making it more likely their future offspring will use cannabis. (2) Whether or not recreational cannabis legalization influences adolescents' cannabis use may depend on their parents' cannabis use history. (3) Parenting in a state with liberalized cannabis policies may present new challenges and require that novel prevention resources be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the likelihood of driving after using cannabis, and of being a passenger with someone who is driving after using cannabis, in rural areas and non-rural areas before and after legalization. A multi-wave analysis of Canada's National Cannabis Survey was conducted using logistic regression with interactions to predict the prevalence of driving after using cannabis, and of being a passenger with someone who is driving after using cannabis, in relation to place of residence (rural or non-rural) and in the weeks and months before and after legalization. Three time points were compared: pre-legalization, two months following legalization and 1 year after legalization. At the national level, there are no significant differences between the predicted estimates of driving after using cannabis for those who live in rural and non-rural areas. However, when examining the impact of legalization, we found a significant increase in driving after using cannabis among rural residents directly following legalization. Furthermore, it was observed that this increase in driving after using cannabis returns to pre-legalization rates one year after legalization. By contrast, in the weeks and months following legalization, driving after using cannabis decreased among those living in non-rural areas, and slowly increased soon thereafter. No significant differences were observed, in either time period or group, in the prevalence of being a passenger with someone who is driving after using cannabis. The finding of significantly higher risk of driving after use of cannabis soon after legalization in rural areas suggests a need for more attention to address immediate concerns for public safety. The increased potential for traffic injuries and deaths in other jurisdictions contemplating legalization supports the call for more and better targeted prevention efforts in rural communities that have far too often been overlooked and under-served. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimsThis study estimated the likelihoods of individuals transitioning to different cannabis use status following recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) in the United States.DesignSecondary analysis of a nationally representative longitudinal cohort in the United States. We used propensity score matching to balance individual characteristics between RCL and comparison states and generalized mixed regressions to estimate behavioral transitions in matched samples.ParticipantsA longitudinal cohort of 21 863 individuals (6925 youths and 14 938 adults) participating in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health waves 3 and 4.SettingFour RCL states that implemented RCL between waves 3 and 4 (California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Maine) and comparison states in the United States.MeasurementsTransitions in cannabis use over the two waves: (1) from non-users to users; (2) from non-users to weekly users; (3) from users to non-users. Individuals in RCL states were compared with matched individuals in (1) states with medical cannabis legalization (MCL), (2) states not legalizing cannabis (non-legalizing) and (3) MCL and non-legalizing states combined.FindingsAmong youths, the association between RCL and greater odds of transition from non-users to users was seen in comparison with non-legalizing states [odds ratio (OR) = 2.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.37-3.45] and combined states (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.23-2.42). Evidence was lacking regarding the associations between RCL and transitions from non-users to weekly users and from users to non-users. Among adults, RCL was associated with greater odds of transitions from non-users to users and non-users to weekly users if RCL states were compared with non-legalizing states (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.15-2.46; OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.00-3.31, respectively) or combined states (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.11-2.07; OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.19-3.66, respectively). RCL was also associated with lower odds of transition from users to non-users if RCL states were compared with non-legalizing states (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.35-0.81).ConclusionsThere appears to be some evidence that recreational cannabis legalization in the United States is associated with elevated odds of transition to cannabis use among both youths and adults.

Background: In 2016, California transitioned from legalized medical cannabis use to adult-use. Little is known about how this policy change affected medicinal cannabis use among young adults. Objectives: To identify longitudinal groups of medicinal cannabis users and concurrent changes in health- and cannabis use-related characteristics among young adults in Los Angeles between 2014 and 2021. Methods: Cannabis users (210 patients and 156 non-patients; 34% female; ages 18–26 at baseline) were surveyed annually across six waves. Longitudinal latent class analysis derived groups from two factors – cannabis patient status and self-reported medicinal use. Trajectories of health symptoms, cannabis use motives, and cannabis use (daily/near daily use, concentrate use, and problematic use) were estimated across groups. Results: Three longitudinal latent classes emerged: Recreational Users (39.3%) – low self-reported medicinal use and low-to-decreasing patient status; Recreational Patients (40.4%) – low self-reported medicinal use and high-to-decreasing patient status; Medicinal Patients (20.3%) – high self-reported medicinal use and high-to-decreasing patient status. At baseline, Medicinal Patients had higher levels of physical health symptoms and motives than recreational groups (p <.05); both patient groups reported higher level of daily/near daily and concentrate use (p <.01). Over time, mental health symptoms increased in recreational groups (p <.05) and problematic cannabis use increased among Recreational Patients (p <.01). Conclusions: During the transition to legalized adult-use, patterns of medicinal cannabis use varied among young adults. Clinicians should monitor increases in mental health symptoms and cannabis-related problems among young adults who report recreational – but not medicinal – cannabis use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundAs the most commonly used illicit substance, cannabis is gaining global acceptance through increasing legalization efforts. This shift intensifies the need for research to guide policymakers and healthcare providers in harm reduction and treatment strategies. Nonetheless, the relationship between psychopathological symptoms and cannabis use remains inadequately understood.MethodsA sample of regular cannabis consumers completed self-reported assessments for depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale V1.1), and psychosis (Early Recognition Inventory based on IRAOS) as well as previous black-market cannabis use patterns. Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test Revised (CUDIT-R) was used to identify cannabis use disorder (CUD). To understand psychopathological symptom load related to cannabis consumption as well as cannabis use motives, multiple regression models were performed to identify psychopathological variables predicting cannabis use frequency and quantity. Linear regression and correlation analyses were conducted, adjusting for relevant covariates (age, gender, education, alcohol, other substance use).ResultsThree-hundred-sixty regular cannabis users interested in a study on regulated cannabis access in Basel, Switzerland were examined. In bivariate analysis, cannabis use frequency correlated with depressive (r(358) = 0.16, p = 0.003) and anxiety symptom load (r(358) = 0.11, p = 0.034). Cannabis quantity correlated with depressive (r(358) = 0.15, p = 0.005), ADHD (r(358) = 0.14, p = 0.008), and psychosis symptom load (r(358) = 0.16, p = 0.002). However, in the adjusted regression models only depressive and ADHD symptom loads were significantly associated with cannabis use frequency (p = 0.006 and p = 0.034, respectively) and quantity (p = 0.037 and p = 0.019, respectively). No significant correlations between cannabis consumption and anxiety or psychosis remained after adjustment.ConclusionADHD and depressive symptoms correlate with increased cannabis use in a cohort of regular users, suggesting potential self-medication in nonclinical populations. With the rising availability of cannabis worldwide, these results highlight the necessity for longitudinal studies to disentangle the complex dynamics between cannabis consumption and mental health symptoms.

Background: In 2018, Canada legalized recreational use of cannabis and introduced new traffic laws to deter impaired driving. These laws received a significant amount of media coverage during legalization. News media framing of driving after cannabis use (DACU) and related traffic policy can influence public opinion on these issues. Objectives: To understand how DACU and related traffic policy is constructed in Canadian media, examine whether this has changed over time since legalization, and describe and contrast media representation in British Columbia and Ontario. Methods: A database of Canadian news content (Canadian Newsstream) was searched for reports published between January 2017 and December 2021. A total of 261 media reports with a focus on DACU published in English in British Columbia and Ontario were selected. Reports were analyzed using content and thematic analyses. Results: The majority of reports depicted DACU as dangerous and legal changes were typically framed in terms of preventing impaired driving. Concerns were frequently expressed over the reliability and accuracy of roadside oral fluid testing and police readiness to detect impaired drivers. Media description of the effects of cannabis legalization on DACU became more positive after legalization. Media portrayal did not differ markedly between British Columbia and Ontario. Conclusions: Media coverage of the new laws may have enhanced their deterrent effect by informing the public about safety risks and legal repercussions associated with DACU. However, mixed messages about law enforcements’ ability to detect and punish impaired drivers may have encouraged DACU by signalling the uncertainty of punishment.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the impact of cannabis legalization on revenue mobilization and taxation in South Africa by analyzing the experiences of jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis. Methodology: A qualitative approach was employed, including a literature review and trend analysis. Data from Canada, California, Colorado, and Washington State, where cannabis has been legalized, were analyzed for 2018-2021. Results: The findings demonstrate that cannabis legalization significantly impacts revenue collection and taxation. However, optimal pricing and taxation policies are crucial to capture the illicit market, minimize negative externalities, and ensure industry growth. Legacy growers and previously disadvantaged individuals should be integrated into the legal market. Theoretical Contribution: The study contributes to the theoretical framework of Pigouvian taxation by examining its applicability to the cannabis industry and the challenges posed by illicit markets and product substitutability with alcohol and tobacco. Practical Implications: The study provides recommendations for South African policymakers on taxation policies, market regulation, and inclusive strategies to ensure a successful and sustainable cannabis industry while maximizing revenue mobilization.

BackgroundApproximately 3.8% of adults worldwide have used cannabis in the past year. Understanding how cannabis use is associated with other health conditions is crucial for healthcare providers seeking to understand the needs of their patients, and for health policymakers. This paper analyzes the relationship between documented cannabis use disorders (CUD), cannabis use (CU) and other health diagnoses among primary care patients during a time when medical use of marijuana was permitted by state law in California, United States of America.MethodsThe study utilized primary care electronic health record (EHR) data from an academic health system, using a case-control design to compare diagnoses among individuals with CUD/CU to those of matched controls, and those of individuals with CUD diagnoses with individuals who had CU otherwise documented. Associations of documented CU and CUD with general medical conditions and health conditions associated with cannabis use (both medical and behavioral) were analyzed using conditional logistic regression.ResultsOf 1,047,463 patients with ambulatory encounters from 2013-2017, 729 (0.06%) had CUD diagnoses and 3,731 (0.36%) had CU documented in their EHR. Patients with documented CUD and CU patients had significantly (p

This article examines the differences between federal, state, and jurisdictional recreational cannabis laws and how these differences are creating challenges and risks for organizations. Research for this article was conducted by surveying 118 managers and supervisors from varying businesses across the U.S. to gauge their perspective on what components of a drug and alcohol policy are important to them. Realizing managers and supervisors may not be knowledgeable of rapidly evolving state, district and jurisdictional cannabis laws, a brief training was provided to managers and supervisors after which they were asked to answer some of the same questions to see if their responses were affected. This research revealed that manager and supervisor perceptions of changing cannabis law should in fact necessitate a careful review, and most likely an amendment of their organizations drug and alcohol policies. Organizations that review and amend their drug and alcohol policies to align with changing cannabis laws, and that consider manager and supervisor perceptions will maximize their potential for proper implementation and management of their drug and alcohol policy to ensure compliance and most importantly employee safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the differences between federal, state, and jurisdictional recreational cannabis laws and how these differences are creating challenges and risks for organizations. Research for this article was conducted by surveying 118 managers and supervisors from varying businesses across the U.S. to gauge their perspective on current federal cannabis law, the increasing passage of state, district, and jurisdictional recreational cannabis laws, and how these laws may influence potential impairment in the workplace. This research revealed that manager and supervisor perception of various cannabis laws positions them to be sympathetic to individuals that use cannabis outside of the workplace and for recreational purposes. The younger the manager or supervisor the more sympathetic they are. This disposition to being sympathetic may pose concern for organizations when expecting managers and supervisors to enforce workplace drug and alcohol policies. While managers and supervisors may be sympathetic to increased recreational cannabis use within the US, this research revealed they are also concerned about the potential for increased impairment in the workplace. In understanding manager and supervisor perceptions of the increasing trend of recreational cannabis legalization, organizations should strongly consider amending their drug and alcohol policies both to comply with new laws protecting employee off-duty cannabis use and to align with manager and supervisor perceptions. This alignment will allow for greater support from managers and supervisors in implementing and enforcing organizational drug and alcohol policies and most importantly ensure employee safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the impact of cannabis legalization on revenue mobilization and taxation in South Africa by analyzing the experiences of jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis. Methodology: A qualitative approach was employed, including a literature review and trend analysis. Data from Canada, California, Colorado, and Washington State, where cannabis has been legalized, were analyzed for 2018-2021. Results: The findings demonstrate that cannabis legalization significantly impacts revenue collection and taxation. However, optimal pricing and taxation policies are crucial to capture the illicit market, minimize negative externalities, and ensure industry growth. Legacy growers and previously disadvantaged individuals should be integrated into the legal market. Theoretical Contribution: The study contributes to the theoretical framework of Pigouvian taxation by examining its applicability to the cannabis industry and the challenges posed by illicit markets and product substitutability with alcohol and tobacco. Practical Implications: The study provides recommendations for South African policymakers on taxation policies, market regulation, and inclusive strategies to ensure a successful and sustainable cannabis industry while maximizing revenue mobilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The past two decades have seen significant debate around cannabis legalization globally, including in India. Since there is no data on professionals’ attitudes toward cannabis legalization; we aimed to assess early-career psychiatrists (ECP) views on cannabis legalization. Methods: An online survey consisting of questions regarding personal and socio-demographic details, attitudes toward legalization of medicinal cannabis and recreational cannabis, and potential indications of medicinal cannabis use was distributed to ECPs. Data from 105 respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and t-test. Results: More respondents agreed with the legalization of medical cannabis (55%) as compared to recreational cannabis (23%). More than 80% ECPs considered cannabis to be associated with psychosis and adverse mental health outcomes; however, those in favor of legalization considered cannabis to be less harmful. ECP with past cannabis use was more likely to have a permissive attitude toward the legalization of recreational cannabis (χ2 =6.79, p < .05) but not for medicinal cannabis use (χ² =1.96, p > .05). Conclusion: ECP in India are open to the idea of legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes but not for recreational purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018, Canada became the second country in the world to legalize the use and supply of cannabis for non-medical purposes. The official primary objectives of the government are protecting public health, restricting access by youth, and reducing illicit drug market activity. The mandate of protecting health and safety shifts the focus from justifying punitive responses to addressing increasing rates of use and related risk behaviours such as driving after cannabis use (DACU). To shed more light on DACU through comparison of data immediately before and after legalization in the Canadian experience, we conducted a multi-wave analysis of the National Cannabis Survey. With particular attention to the influence of gender on perceptions and behaviour of youth and young adults, our findings (reassuringly) suggest there have been no measurable increases in self-reported rates of DACU. Whereas gender is a reliably significant predictor, with DACU being far more common among males, we also found that females in this age group are just as likely to report having been as a passenger of a driver who recently used cannabis. The findings are interpreted with reference to research on education and prevention, and gendered variation in peer-based harm reduction initiatives for youth and young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aimsDifferent cannabis administration methods have differential impacts on health. This study aimed to describe administration methods among cannabis users in the United States categorized by (1) use purpose and (2) state legalization status.DesignCross-sectional, probability-based online survey in 2020.SettingAll 50 states and Washington DC in the United States.ParticipantsA total of 21 903 adults (18+) were recruited from a probability-based online panel to provide nationally representative estimates.MethodsEleven administration methods were grouped into combustion, vaporization, ingestion and topicals. Weighted prevalence was reported among (1) medical-only, recreational-only and dual-purpose users based on self-reported purposes and (2) users in states that legalized both recreational and medical cannabis (RCL states), legalized medical cannabis only and did not legalize cannabis.FindingsAmong past-year users, the proportions of medical-only, recreational-only and dual-purpose users were 25.55, 43.81 and 30.64%, respectively. The most common primary methods were combustion (42.08%) and topicals (28.65%) for medical purposes and combustion (72.07%) and ingestion (15.05%) for recreational purposes. Dual-purpose users were more likely to report combustion and vaporization but less likely to report ingestion and topicals as primary methods for medical use than medical-only users (P  0.05).ConclusionCannabis users whose purposes are medical, recreational or both tend to differ in their selected administration methods.

BackgroundConsumers' access to cannabis has been considerably expanded in US states where recreational cannabis was legalized and commercialized. However, little is known about the important factors influencing consumers' purchase decisions in cannabis retail dispensaries. This study examined cannabis users' perceptions of the relative importance of policy-relevant factors when they made cannabis purchase decisions.MethodsAn online survey was administered to 817 adult cannabis users in seven states in the US (California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) that had approved cannabis commercialization by the time of interview in January 2018. Twenty policy-relevant cannabis attributes were evaluated, including those pertaining to product characteristics, quality, package characteristics, price and free sample, store characteristics, and restrictions on use. A best-worst scaling experiment was employed, which asked respondents to select the most and the least important attributes in a choice scenario. Each respondent answered 10 choice scenarios, each including a random combination of four attributes out of the 20. The relative importance of each attribute was evaluated using hierarchical Bayesian estimation of mixed logit models.ResultsOverall, 'quality', 'strain type', 'price', 'THC' (tetrahydrocannabinol) and 'pesticide' were the top five important attributes affecting cannabis users' willingness to buy cannabis in a dispensary. These five attributes jointly accounted for approximately half of the total importance. In subsample analysis, both recreational and dual-purpose users attached higher importance to 'quality', 'THC', and 'price', whereas medical users tended to think 'CBD' (cannabidiol) and 'pesticide' were more important. All cannabis users perceived 'package' to be the least important attribute. Gender had no major differences in perceptions.ConclusionsCannabis users in general perceived product characteristics, quality, and price to be important factors in their willingness to buy cannabis in dispensaries. There were heterogeneities in the perceptions by cannabis use purposes. The findings might deserve consideration in cannabis policy design.

Cannabis, presently being one of the most commonly employed psychoactive agents globally, ranks after alcohol and nicotine. Despite the permissibility of employing cannabis for medicinal objectives in Korea, the discussion regarding the authorization and control of cannabis for both recreational and medicinal intentions persists, giving rise to apprehensions about the plausible hazards and repercussions of cannabis on public well-being and health. Cannabis has the potential to induce positive experiences that mitigate certain psychiatric symptoms depending on the individual. However, a multitude of studies have demonstrated a close association between cannabis usage and detrimental effects on the brain, including the onset of schizophrenia and the deterioration of cognitive function. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system, which serves as the primary target for the active components of cannabis, was only recently discovered, and the precise mechanisms through which the intricate substances within cannabis interact with the body remain inadequately comprehended. The use of medical cannabis for mental illness has shown promise in treating anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep disorders, and substance use disorders. Recent research has focused on the discovery of the eCB system, which plays a role in the therapeutic effects of cannabinoids. These studies are advancing the development of new treatments for mental disorders through research and clinical trials. In conclusion, while cannabis-related substances carry a risk for mental health, the eCB system also holds potential as a new therapeutic mechanism. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of cannabinoids and determine appropriate medical uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a major policy decision, Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018. However, provinces implemented legalization differently. In particular, Ontario opened cannabis storefronts much later than other provinces, and retail data indicate that this affected consumer behaviour. I use this exogenous variation in access to legalized cannabis, combined with large-N patient data from a chain of medical cannabis clinics operating in several provinces, to help understand the observed decline in purchased medical cannabis and significant growth in individually produced medical cannabis. After legalization, the purchase of medical cannabis fell less in Ontario than in higher-access provinces. However, I find no evidence that legalization changed trends in the composition of medical cannabis purchasers by gender, age, or medical condition. This suggestive evidence is consistent with minimal misuse of the medical cannabis system and hence does not support more restrictive policies regarding medical cannabis purchases. However, the substantial increase in the personal growing of medical cannabis for use may become a future policy focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within-person studies are lacking regarding how recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) and the numbers of neighborhood cannabis retailers relate to adolescents' cannabis use. Study participants were 146 offspring (55% girls; 77% White non-Latinx) of men recruited in childhood from neighborhoods with high delinquency rates. Youth were assessed for past-year cannabis and alcohol use one or more times from ages 13 to 20 years (age M[SD] = 16.4 [2.1] years across 422 observations), while they were living in Oregon or Washington from 2005 to 2019 (where cannabis retail stores opened to adults ages 21 years and older in 2014 and 2015, respectively). We calculated distances between addresses of licensed cannabis retailers and participants' homes. Multilevel models that accounted for effects of age on cannabis use did not support that the number of retail stores within 2-, 5-, 10-, or 20-mile radii of adolescents' homes increased likelihood of past-year cannabis use at the within- or between-subjects levels. Likewise, primary models did not support a greater likelihood of cannabis use among youth whose adolescence coincided more fully with the post-RCL period. A secondary model suggested that after adjusting for adolescents' concurrent alcohol use as a marker of general substance use risk, RCL was associated with cannabis use (between-subjects B [95% CI] =.35 [.05–.66], p =.024). Further research is needed with larger prospective samples, at-risk subgroups, and as cannabis markets mature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is considerable effort in legalizing recreational use of cannabis globally. The successful implementation of a program of regulated access to recreational cannabis (PRAC) depends on the consumers' engagement. The aim of this study was to examine the acceptability of twelve different regulatory aspects by cannabis users including those obtaining cannabis from the illicit market and vulnerable populations such as young adults and problematic users. Methods: The current study is a multisite online survey conducted in Switzerland. A total of 3,132 adult Swiss residents who consumed cannabis within the previous 30 days represented the studied population. Mean age was 30.5 years, 80.5% were men, and 64.2% of the participants stated that they always or often obtain cannabis from the illicit market. We described consumers' acceptability of twelve regulatory aspects concerning THC content control, disclosure of sensitive personal data, security aspects, and follow-up procedures by applying descriptive statistics and multiple regression models. Results: THC content regulation showed most discrepancy with 89.4% of the participants stating to engage in a PRAC if five different THC contents were available as compared to 54% if only 12% THC was available. The least accepted regulatory aspect was disposal of contact details with an acceptability rate of 18.1%. Consumers mainly obtaining cannabis from the illicit market, young adults, and problematic users showed similar acceptability patterns. Participants obtaining cannabis from the illicit market were more likely to engage in a PRAC if five different THC contents were available as compared to participants obtaining cannabis from other sources (OR 1.94, 95% CI: 1.53–2.46). Conclusion: A carefully designed PRAC that takes into account the consumers' perspective is likely to transfer them to the regulated market and to engage vulnerable populations. We cannot recommend the distribution of cannabis with only 12% THC content as this is unlikely to engage the target population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously reviewed the types and numbers of cannabis-associated adverse events that have mental health presentations that are encountered in the Emergency Department. A particular challenge in examining these events is disentangling cannabis use adverse events from adverse events associated with use of multiple recreational substances. Since that review was published, cannabis legalization for recreational use has greatly expanded world-wide and with these changes in the legal climate has come clearer information around the frequency of adverse events seen in the Emergency Department. However, as we examined the current state of the literature, we also examined some of research designs and the biases that may be impacting the validity of the data in this field. The biases both of clinicians and researchers as well as research approaches to studying these events may be impacting our ability to assess the interaction between cannabis and mental health. For example, many of the studies performed examining cannabis-related admissions to the Emergency Department were administrative studies that relied on front line clinicians to identify and attribute that cannabis use was associated with any particular admission. This narrative review provides an overview on what we currently know about mental health adverse events in the Emergency Department with a focus on the mental health impacts both for those with and without a history of mental illness. The evidence that cannabis use can adversely impact genders and sexes differently is also discussed. This review outlines what the most common adverse events related to mental health with cannabis use are; as well as noting the most concerning but much rarer events that have been reported. Additionally, this review suggests a framework for critical evaluation of this field of study going forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined changes in population-level co-use of cannabis and alcohol before and 12 months after nonmedical cannabis legalization in Canada, relative to the United States that had previously legalized and not legalized (US legal and illegal states, respectively). Methods: Data are from waves 1 and 2 of the International Cannabis Policy Study, collected in 2018 (before) and 2019 (12 months after legalization in Canada). Respondents aged 16–65 years from Canada (n = 25,313) and US legal (n = 25,189) and US illegal (n = 19,626) states completed an online survey. Changes in co-use between 2018 and 2019 in US legal and illegal states compared to those in Canada were assessed using multinomial logistic regression. Results: Descriptive analyses show increases in cannabis use and monthly or more frequent (MMF) co-use between 2018 and 2019 in all jurisdictions. Compared to no MMF use of cannabis or alcohol, there was no evidence suggesting differences in changes in MMF co-use in US legal or illegal states relative to Canada. However, respondents in US legal states had 33% higher odds of MMF alcohol-only use (OR = 1.33, 99% CI: 1.12, 1.57) compared to no MMF use relative to Canada. Conclusions: Increases in co-use were observed between 2018 and 2019 in all jurisdictions regardless of the legal status of cannabis. These shifts were largely due to increases in cannabis use across the population, including those that use alcohol, and may indicate changing societal norms toward cannabis generally. As the cannabis legalization transition in Canada matures, evaluation over the longer term will improve understanding of the influence of cannabis liberalization on co-use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundRecreational cannabis has been legalized in 11 states and Washington DC in the US. However, little is known about individual preferences for legal cannabis products. This study estimated the impacts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), warning messages, and price on preferences for cannabis flowers.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey with discrete choice experiments was implemented in October 2017. A sample of 2400 adults aged 21 years or older were recruited from 6 US states with recreational cannabis legalization, consisting of 1200 past-year nonusers and 1200 past-year users. Each respondent was randomly assigned to 12 discrete choice scenarios, each asking them to choose from an opt-out option and 3 cannabis flower products with varying levels in THC, CBD, warning messages, and price. The impacts of product attributes on individual choices were analyzed with nested logit regressions.ResultsBoth cannabis nonusers and users preferred higher CBD and lower price. Users also preferred higher THC. The results on warning messages were mixed: graphic warning on drugged driving and text warning message had positive impacts on nonusers' and users' preferences for cannabis flowers, respectively, whereas FDA disapproval disclaimer had negative impacts on nonusers' preferences. Heterogeneities in preferences were revealed among nonusers by former use status and among users by reason of use. Particularly, medical cannabis users were not as responsive to THC as recreational cannabis users or dual users were. Regarding relative importance of the attributes, all respondents but medical cannabis users perceived price as the most important attribute (relative importance 51-64%), whereas medical cannabis users perceived CBD as the most important attribute (relative importance 47%).ConclusionThe findings indicated that product characteristics may have influences on US adults' choices of legal cannabis flower products and may deserve consideration for cannabis regulatory framework.

ObjectiveTo assess the effect of cannabis legalisation on health effects and healthcare utilisation in Colorado (CO), the first state to legalise recreational cannabis, when compared with two control states, New York (NY) and Oklahoma (OK).DesignWe used the 2010 to 2014 Healthcare Cost and Utilisation Project (HCUP) inpatient databases to compare changes in rates of healthcare utilisation and diagnoses in CO versus NY and OK.SettingPopulation-based, inpatient.ParticipantsHCUP state-wide data comprising over 28 million individuals and over 16 million hospitalisations across three states.Main outcome measuresWe used International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Edition codes to assess changes in healthcare utilisation specific to various medical diagnoses potentially treated by or exacerbated by cannabis. Diagnoses were classified based on weight of evidence from the National Academy of Science (NAS). Negative binomial models were used to compare rates of admissions between states.ResultsIn CO compared with NY and OK, respectively, cannabis abuse hospitalisations increased (risk ratio (RR) 1.27, 95% CI 1.26 to 1.28 and RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.17; both p

We have previously reviewed the types and numbers of cannabis-associated adverse events that have mental health presentations that are encountered in the Emergency Department. A particular challenge in examining these events is disentangling cannabis use adverse events from adverse events associated with use of multiple recreational substances. Since that review was published, cannabis legalization for recreational use has greatly expanded world-wide and with these changes in the legal climate has come clearer information around the frequency of adverse events seen in the Emergency Department. However, as we examined the current state of the literature, we also examined some of research designs and the biases that may be impacting the validity of the data in this field. The biases both of clinicians and researchers as well as research approaches to studying these events may be impacting our ability to assess the interaction between cannabis and mental health. For example, many of the studies performed examining cannabis-related admissions to the Emergency Department were administrative studies that relied on front line clinicians to identify and attribute that cannabis use was associated with any particular admission. This narrative review provides an overview on what we currently know about mental health adverse events in the Emergency Department with a focus on the mental health impacts both for those with and without a history of mental illness. The evidence that cannabis use can adversely impact genders and sexes differently is also discussed. This review outlines what the most common adverse events related to mental health with cannabis use are; as well as noting the most concerning but much rarer events that have been reported. Additionally, this review suggests a framework for critical evaluation of this field of study going forward.

Introduction: Cannabis was legalized in Canada in October 2018, regulating the production, distribution, sale, and possession of dried cannabis and cannabis oils. Additional products were legalized 1 year later, including edibles, concentrates, and topicals, with new lines of commercial products coming to market. Ontario is the most populous province in Canada and has the largest cannabis market with the highest number of in-person retail stores and the most cannabis products available online. This study aims to create a profile of products available to consumers three years after legalization by summarizing types of products, THC and CBD potency, plant type, and prices of product sub-categories. Methods: We extracted data from the website of the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS)--the public agency overseeing the only online store and sole wholesaler to all authorized in-person stores--in the first quarter of 2022 (January 19-March 23). We used descriptive analyses to summarize the data. A total of 1,771 available products were mapped by route of administration into inhalation (smoking, vaping, and concentrates), ingestible (edibles, beverages, oils, and capsules) and topical. Results: Most inhalation products included ≤20%/g THC (dried flower: 94%; cartridges: 96%; resin: 100%) while ingestible products had similar proportions of THC and CBD content. Indica-dominant products tend to be more prominent in inhalation products while sativa-dominant products tend to be more prominent in ingestible products. The average sale price of cannabis was 9.30 $/g for dried flower, 5.79 $/0.1g for cartridges, 54.82 $/g for resin, 3.21 $/unit for soft chews, 1.37 $/ml for drops, 1.52 $/unit for capsules, and 39.94 $/product for topicals. Discussion: In summary, a wide variety of cannabis products were available to Ontarians for different routes of administration and provides numerous indicadominant, sativa-dominant, and hybrid/blend options. The current market for inhalation products however is geared towards the commercialization of high-THC products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, there has been a significant surge in cannabis legalization, with Uruguay (2013), Canada (2018) and 19 U.S. states (2012-2022) having developed recreational cannabis policies. A growing literature analyzes legalization from a policymaking or public health standpoint. Yet only few studies have explored its discursive component. This article contributes to filling this gap by developing conceptual tools for cannabis policy discourse analysis. I first examine the history of cannabis policy in North America and find two main discursive clusters, i.e., moral and epistemic discourse. I then discuss existing typologies of cannabis regulation models and select that of Beauchesne, which distinguishes between three models: prohibition 2.0, public health and harm reduction, and commercialization. At the intersection of discursive clusters and these regulation models, I identify six mutually exclusive frames of cannabis policy: moral panic, medical/health, reparations/vulnerabilities, harm reduction/risk mitigation, laissez-faire/liberalism, and illicit market/revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]