In an editorial piece penned by Public Health Physician and Canadian Institutes of Health Research Fellow Daniel Myran for The Conversation, Dr. Myran explains the lack of timely and current data on recreational cannabis legalization before a mandated review of the health impacts.
He cites three main areas that limit the understanding of legalization’s health impact. First, almost all studies to date examining the impact of legalization on cannabis use and harms have only looked at changes during the first year following legalization. Second, many types of cannabis products, including commercially produced edibles such as THC-containing candies, desserts and drinks, only became available for sale in January 2020. Last, over half of the time since legalization has been during the pandemic. There is no easy way to separate the effects of the pandemic versus a maturing cannabis market on the recent increases in cannabis use.
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