Grant: Operating Grant: Data Analysis Using Existing CDN Databases and Cohorts

The Cannabis Act legalized the use of marijuana by adults in Canada on October 17, 2018. Dried leaf products and oils were available for sale in the first year after legalization. Edibles, concentrates, and marijuana vaping products were not allowed to be legally sold in Canada for another year. These products were approved for legal sale in Manitoba in the second year, becoming available for purchase in early 2020. A main goal of The Cannabis Act was to protect the safety and health of children and youth by managing the production, sale, and use of marijuana. However, current evidence suggests that the legal availability of marijuana to adults might lead to more hospital, emergency, and intensive care visits of children and youth due to marijuana poisoning. The highest numbers of marijuana-related visits are among young children and in areas where edible marijuana products are available for sale. Rules about the sale of marijuana differ across provinces and territories, so findings from other areas may not apply to Manitoba. Also, little is known about the effects of marijuana legalization on other aspects of public service use such as interactions with the justice system among youth in Canada. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of The Cannabis Act on the use of public health and justice services for children and teenagers. We will harness the extensive whole-population research data at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy to compare hospital and emergency department visits among children and teenagers before and after The Cannabis Act was in effect, and to compare criminal charges related to marijuana and impaired driving among youth before and after The Cannabis Act was in effect. Study findings can help develop public educational materials about the potential harms of marijuana use and inform prevention and intervention programs that decrease the use of marijuana.