Growth in the number of licensed cannabis retailers is not associated with either significant or consistent upticks in marijuana use by young people, according to newly published data in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Canadian investigators assessed trends in the density of cannabis retailers and teen marijuana use in a cohort of over 400,000 young people over five years. (Canada legalized the adult-use marijuana market in 2018.) Researchers determined neither the number of retailers nor young peoples’ proximity to them was associated with any significant increase in teen use.
“In this large, multi-province study of Canadian secondary school students, spatial accessibility to cannabis retailers was not consistently associated with adolescent cannabis use following legalization,” they reported. “These findings are consistent with a growing body of literature suggesting that increased retail availability of legal cannabis does not translate directly into higher rates of youth use. … A likely explanation [for this null effect] is that adolescents remain largely excluded from legal cannabis retail markets due to age restrictions, which may reduce the relevance of physical proximity to retail outlets for this age group.”
The study’s authors concluded: “While concerns persist that increased retail density may contribute to higher rates of youth cannabis use, the present results suggest that restricting physical proximity of retailers to schools may have limited impact on adolescent behavior. … Broader social, behavioral, and policy factors are likely more influential determinants of adolescent cannabis use than geographic proximity to retail outlets alone.”
The study’s findings are consistent with US data provided by The RAND Corporation and others determining that young people who reside near licensed marijuana retailers are no more likely to consume cannabis, or to express their intention to consume cannabis, than those who do not.
Separate findings from the United States indicate that state-licensed cannabis businesses strictly adhere to minimum age requirements and deny minors entry at rates far greater than that ofalcohol retailers.
“Regulation and licensed markets work,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “Licensed dispensaries ID patrons and they often hire security. This greatly deters access among young people while contributing to the health and safety of the community.”
The full text of the study, “Cannabis retail accessibility and adolescent use across a maturing market: Evidence from Canada,” appears in Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Societal Impact of Cannabis Dispensaries/Retailers.‘