Background
The cannabis policy landscape in the Americas is dramatically changing, and other jurisdictions are implementing or considering their own policy changes—from the Australian Capital Territory to multiple countries in Europe. Even in the past 5 years, there have been further changes to recreational cannabis policies in Americas, including changes to supply models or product availability. Understanding the consequences of these changes will be important to inform future policy developments in the Americas and beyond.
Review Methods
We developed a search protocol, run in five academic databases and three grey literature sources to cover the period between July 2018 to October 2023. Empirical quantitative studies were included if they had credible counterfactuals, were peer-reviewed, conducted in English or Spanish, and conducted in Uruguay, Canada and U.S. states that had legalized recreational cannabis. Further inclusion criteria included using 1) a quasi-experimental design; 2) representative samples; 3) pre- and post-legalization periods. We also discuss articles that examine within-jurisdiction changes post-legalization.
Results and implications
We identified 172 studies, covering nine outcomes: 1) Perceptions and attitudes; 2) Use-related outcomes; 3) Other substance use; 4) Traffic collisions; 5) Healthcare-related outcomes; 6) Market-related outcomes; 7) Crime and criminal justice; 8) Labour markets and financial indicators; and 9) Other. The presentation will largely focus on the health-related outcomes. From this review, there are lessons to be learned for other countries exploring changing their cannabis laws, particularly with changes to the European market.
Elle Wadsworth (she/her) is a senior analyst at RAND Europe working in the area of home affairs and social policy. Her research interests include drug policy (both illegal and legal substances), cannabis legalization, and public health. Prior to joining RAND Europe, Wadsworth worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction examining the effects of provincial policies on consumers transition to the legal cannabis market in Canada post-legalization. She holds a Ph.D. in public health and health systems from the University of Waterloo (Canada), a M.Sc. in addiction studies from King's College London (UK) and a B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Bristol (UK).