Why it matters: Cannabis legalization in Canada has had a positive impact on youth criminalization rates, with a significant reduction in police-reported cannabis-related offenses among citizens between the ages of 12 and 17.
What they are saying: The findings, published in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal, show a sustained and substantial decrease of 50% to 60% in national patterns of male and female police-reported youth cannabis-related criminal incidents over a three-year post-legalization period.
The big picture: Cannabis legalization in Canada has not only resulted in reduced criminalization rates in youth but has also shown no evidence of associations with patterns of property or violent crimes. These findings provide empirical data for the Canadian evaluation of the harms and benefits of cannabis legalization policies and can also be used to assess other international jurisdictions weighing the merits and drawbacks of cannabis legalization policies.
What to watch: With cannabis legalization enshrined, activists have turned their attention to the next frontier of drug reform, launching a petition to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for medicinal use.
My take: These findings are significant and show the positive impact cannabis legalization has had on reducing youth criminalization rates. It’s important to continue to assess the impact of such policies on society, including any unintended consequences.
