Canadians living closer to legal cannabis stores were more likely to buy from legal sources | Research

The takeaway

In the first three years of Canadian legalization, proximity to legal retail stores was associated with greater use of legal cannabis sources, while those farther from stores relied more on informal sources.

Cannabis regulators, urban planners, legalization policy researchers, and jurisdictions designing retail rollout strategies.

15,311 consumers; closer proximity to legal stores = more legal purchasing

What the researchers found

Distance to the nearest legal cannabis retail store was significantly associated with cannabis sourcing. Respondents living closer to legal stores were more likely to purchase from legal sources, while those farther away used informal or illegal sources more frequently.

Why it matters

A key goal of Canadian legalization was transitioning consumers from illegal to legal markets. This study shows physical access to legal stores is a major determinant of whether that transition happens.

The numbers in context

15,311 past-year cannabis consumers surveyed 2019-2021. Distance to nearest legal store was significantly associated with source choice. Closer proximity = more legal purchasing.

How the study worked

Cross-sectional analysis of Canadian respondents in the International Cannabis Policy Study (2019-2021). 15,311 past-12-month cannabis consumers. Assessed distance to nearest legal retail store and cannabis purchasing sources.

What this study cannot tell us

Repeat cross-sectional design, not longitudinal tracking of individuals. Store proximity calculated from home address, not accounting for work or travel patterns. Other factors (price, product quality, convenience) also influence sourcing. Cannot confirm self-reported source accuracy.

How to read the evidence

Large repeat cross-sectional study with geographic analysis. Cannot track individual behavior change over time.

When this study was published

Published 2023. Survey data from 2019-2021.

The bigger picture

Canada's phased rollout of cannabis retail created natural variation in store access. The finding that proximity drives legal purchasing suggests that jurisdictions slow to open stores may be inadvertently sustaining illegal markets.

Questions still open

What is the critical distance threshold beyond which legal sourcing drops significantly? Would delivery services offset the access barrier for those far from stores?

Common questions

Did Canadian legalization eliminate the illegal cannabis market?

Not entirely. This study shows that proximity to legal stores matters. Consumers living far from legal retail were more likely to continue using informal or illegal sources. Physical access to legal cannabis is a key factor in market transition.

How many legal cannabis stores does Canada have?

Store rollout varied dramatically by province. Some provinces opened stores quickly while others were much slower. This variation created the natural experiment this study leveraged, finding that access drives behavior regardless of legal status.

Read the original research

Proximity to Legal Cannabis Stores in Canada and Use of Cannabis Sources in the First Three Years of Legalization, 2019-2021.

Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 84(6), 852-862

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Wadsworth, Elle; Driezen, Pete; Dilley, Julia A; Gabrys, Robert; Jesseman, Rebecca; Hammond, David. (2023). Proximity to Legal Cannabis Stores in Canada and Use of Cannabis Sources in the First Three Years of Legalization, 2019-2021.. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 84(6), 852-862. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.22-00427