Call it short-term memory loss..Five years after cannabis was fully legalized, the results of Canada’s nation-wide experiment in legal weed has produced a mixed bag of positive and negative outcomes, according to the Canadian Medical Association (CMA)..Despite fewer arrests, hospitalizations and cannabis-impaired driving rates increased in the same period, says a report published Tuesday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal..Emergency department visits related to cannabis poisoning — drug induced psychosis, mainly — increased three times among children under nine years of age in four provinces after the legalization of edibles such as gummies..Also, the proportions of drivers who were admitted to hospitals and tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) after motor vehicle accidents increased after legalization — especially in British Columbia — although the results are clouded by inconsistent reporting in other provinces..On the bright side, “substantial reductions” in criminal arrests among both adults and youth “should be noted as… positive social justice and possibly indirect public health outcomes,” that must be considered in the broader context of the policy, said the report..Prior to legalization, many criminal cannabis arrests were the result of highly arbitrary or discriminatory (or 'racialized') enforcement practices, focussed on circumstances of personal cannabis consumption rather than an objective legal standard, it added. .And despite fears of a pot-hazed ‘free-for-all’, usage patterns have remained broadly consistent. About 27% of Canadian adults say they use cannabis compared to about 21% prior to legalization. By contrast, about 75% of adults consume alcohol and 12% smoke cigarettes, according to Statistics Canada numbers..And despite higher hospitalizations, the overall negative health outcomes are modest compared to other substances such as meth, cocaine, tobacco and even alcohol itself. Thus, the major 'societal benefits' of legalization must be included in any systematic assessments of the policy reform’s impacts, CMA said. .For example, the reduction in cannabis-related arrests translates into “substantive prevention” of criminal penalties and criminal records for tens of thousands of Canadians — restrictions on work, travel and social opportunities, including prison — that occurred when recreational cannabis prohibited. .Moreover, as many as 80% of pot smokers are now getting their stuff from legal sources, depending on the product obtained — a key objective of government policy to snuff out the black market and organized crime — which can largely be claimed as a success..“The available evidence, with the qualifications duly noted, presents a mixed picture of changes in public health outcomes after legalization,” it said. “Although trends in some primary public health indicators have suggested adverse effects of legalization, some others have remained stable.”.That said, it is too early to draw conclusions on the impact of cannabis legalization in Canada that can robustly inform policy reform, the CMA said. Assessments of cannabis legalization in the US also concluded five years is too early to evaluate the full effects of such a fundamental policy change..The data came with several kickers, namely: “a substantial proportion of the phase following legalization of cannabis in Canada also included the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have influenced patterns and outcomes of substance use more broadly.”.Some of underlying trends were evident before legalization and the possibility the study findings represent an extension of those shifts have not been fully assessed, it added..Also, the pre-pandemic period was marked by a “novelty phase” that may have contributed to a broader increase in use patterns that have since levelled off. .While it suggests the overall impacts of legalization have been modestly successful, the report notes there is still substantial room for policy changes..“It is too early to draw conclusions on the impact of cannabis legalization in Canada that can robustly inform policy reform,” it said..Crucially, other important policy outcomes beyond those focusing on health need to be considered in comprehensive assessments of policy impacts.”
