Legalizing Cannabis Edibles Increased Teen Cannabis Use by 26% in Canada | Research

The takeaway

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.

Cannabis regulators, youth health advocates, legalization policy designers

Edible legalization linked to 26% increase in teen cannabis use and 43% increase in edible use

What the researchers 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%.

Why it 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 numbers in context

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 the study worked

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.

What this study cannot 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.

How to read the evidence

Published in JAMA Network Open with strong quasi-experimental design, though natural experiment limitations apply.

When this study was published

2025 JAMA study analyzing 2018-2022 Canadian student survey data.

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.

Questions still open

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?

Common 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.

Read the original research

Legalizing Youth-Friendly Cannabis Edibles and Extracts and Adolescent Cannabis Use.

JAMA network open, 8(4), e255819

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

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