Grant: Partnerships for Cannabis Policy Evaluation

On October 17, 2018, cannabis for non-medicinal use became legal in Canada. Each province and territory was then responsible for defining the rules of sale (public/private), use (age, possession limits, and location) and control (enforcement and traffic safety). The province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) had five main goals: 1) protect public health by providing access to a safe source of cannabis, encouraging low-risk use, by those who choose to use it, and keeping it out of the hands of children; 2) promote safety on roads, public spaces and workplaces; 3) reduce the burden on the criminal justice system; 4) keep profits out of the hands of criminals; and 5) support new business opportunities. This resulted in a plan that includes private and public retail sales. Private retailers can sell to the public in one of four types of in-person locations, while the public retailer (NL Liquor Corporation) controls all online sales. This multiple-retail style approach is unique to NL, and policy makers are interested in seeing whether or not this model is meeting health and safety goals. In collaboration with policy makers, we are proposing an evaluation that explores both the process of retail sales and the important health and safety outcomes relevant to cannabis use. To examine the process of retail sales, we will look closely at legal versus illegal purchasing patterns, access and use across geographical areas and barriers and facilitators to operating a safe and viable businesses. To examine some of the direct impacts on health (e.g., mental illness, accidental injury) and impact on social determinants of health (e.g., education, employment) we will collect and analyze data from population surveys, sales records, enforcement data, and health records. These data will be used to do provincial descriptive analyses and monitor changes over time with special attention to differences based on age, gender, and place of residence.