“Expanding harm reduction strategies by integrating cannabis substitution could provide individuals with greater choice in managing their alcohol use and increased access to tailored interventions may enhance autonomy, stability, and empowerment, ultimately reducing alcohol-related harms.”
Investigators concluded, “Canada’s legal cannabis market has displaced approximately three-quarters of domestic expenditures on the illegal cannabis market four years after federal legalization of non-medical cannabis.”
“Implementation was followed by an immediate reduction and sustained declining trend in the illegal cannabis market.”
“These results illustrate that cannabis regulation, coupled with consumer education, can provide sufficient safeguards to protect — and potentially even improve — mental health outcomes, particularly among more vulnerable populations.”
“These findings belie that claim that cannabis is a so-called ‘gateway drug’ and reinforces the notion that, for many individuals and for patients especially, it acts as a exit drug.”
“These data indicate that the legal, regulated cannabis market is displacing the underground marketplace. Over time, consumers are becoming more comfortable with and more reliant upon licensed retailers – who typically offer greater convenience, product quality, and safety.”
“We found that non-medical cannabis legalization was associated with an immediate decline in beer sales. Furthermore, beer sales continued to decline in the post-legalization period, suggesting that individuals are moving away from beer towards legal cannabis.”
“Our study provides novel information on workers’ use of cannabis for their work-related conditions, a population for which little data exist. … Findings of this study demonstrate workers are turning to cannabis many months following the onset of their original work-related condition.”