Legalizing Cannabis Edibles Increased Teen Cannabis Use by 26% in Canada
After Canadian provinces legalized youth-friendly cannabis edibles and extracts, adolescent cannabis use rose 26% and edible use rose 43% compared to Quebec, which banned them.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 106,032 students in grades 7-11, provinces that legalized cannabis edibles saw a 3.8 percentage point (26%) increase in overall cannabis use and 3.4 percentage point (43%) increase in edible use compared to Quebec where youth-friendly products were banned. Cannabis smoking also increased 34%.
Key Numbers
N=106,032 students, grades 7-11. Cannabis use: +3.8pp (26%), edibles: +3.4pp (43%), smoking: +4.4pp (34%), alcohol co-use: +2.4pp (28%). Harm perception from occasional use decreased.
How They Did This
Serial cross-sectional study using nationally representative Canadian Student Tobacco Alcohol and Drugs Surveys (2018-2019 and 2021-2022) with a differences-in-differences design comparing provinces that legalized to Quebec.
Why This Research Matters
This is the strongest evidence yet that legalizing cannabis edibles specifically increases adolescent use. The natural experiment of Quebec banning what other provinces allowed creates a powerful policy comparison.
The Bigger Picture
Edibles are often marketed in forms that appeal to young people (chocolates, candies, desserts). This study provides direct evidence that their legalization, without adequate youth protections, increases adolescent cannabis use across multiple consumption methods.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Differences-in-differences design assumes parallel trends, which may not hold perfectly. COVID-19 occurred between survey waves, potentially confounding results. Quebec differs from other provinces in ways beyond edible policy.
Questions This Raises
- ?Can specific product regulations (packaging, marketing) mitigate the edible legalization effect?
- ?Why did smoking also increase when edibles were legalized?
- ?What role does reduced harm perception play?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Edible legalization linked to 26% increase in teen cannabis use and 43% increase in edible use
- Evidence Grade:
- Published in JAMA Network Open with strong quasi-experimental design, though natural experiment limitations apply.
- Study Age:
- 2025 JAMA study analyzing 2018-2022 Canadian student survey data.
- Original Title:
- Legalizing Youth-Friendly Cannabis Edibles and Extracts and Adolescent Cannabis Use.
- Published In:
- JAMA network open, 8(4), e255819 (2025)
- Authors:
- Mital, Shweta(2), Nguyen, Hai V(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07155
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do cannabis edibles increase teen drug use?
This Canadian study found that provinces legalizing cannabis edibles saw a 26% increase in adolescent cannabis use overall and a 43% increase in edible use specifically, compared to Quebec which banned youth-friendly edible products.
Should cannabis edibles be regulated differently?
This study suggests yes. The legalization of youth-friendly formats like cannabis chocolates and candies was associated with significant increases in adolescent use, supporting arguments for stricter product design and marketing regulations.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07155APA
Mital, Shweta; Nguyen, Hai V. (2025). Legalizing Youth-Friendly Cannabis Edibles and Extracts and Adolescent Cannabis Use.. JAMA network open, 8(4), e255819. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.5819
MLA
Mital, Shweta, et al. "Legalizing Youth-Friendly Cannabis Edibles and Extracts and Adolescent Cannabis Use.." JAMA network open, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.5819
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Legalizing Youth-Friendly Cannabis Edibles and Extracts and ..." RTHC-07155. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mital-2025-legalizing-youthfriendly-cannabis-edibles
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.