Grant: Project Grant

TITLE: Assessing the impacts of cannabis legalization on youth. Background and Importance. On October 17, 2018, the Canadian Federal government implemented the Cannabis Act-the framework for cannabis legalization in Canada. This legislation requires a comprehensive assessment of the Cannabis Act's effects on the health of Canadian youth. The proposed studies support the evaluation of the Cannabis Act. Research Aims. The current proposal examines two critically important national and international public health concerns related to youth and cannabis legalization: (STUDY 1) police-reported youth cannabis-related criminal offenses; and (STUDY 2) the effectiveness of minimum legal cannabis sales age (MLCSA) laws-a key legislative component of legalization designed to protect underage youth from cannabis-related harms. Methods. The proposed project will undertake two studies, each using a different set of data. STUDY 1 will use national police-reported crime data. STUDY 2 will work with emergency department data from Ontario and Alberta, as well as with national inpatient hospital admission data. Statistical analyses will evaluate how aspects of the cannabis legalization process might be associated with possible cannabis-related harms or benefits to youth. Study Team. The study team has the experience and demonstrated expertise to complete the studies and make the scientific findings widely available to other scientists, policymakers, and the general public. Expected Outcomes and Significance. The project supports the evaluation of the Cannabis Act, and it will help to determine the potential harms and benefits of cannabis legalization and its overall impact on Canadian youth.