York University researchers have debunked a myth that recreational cannabis retailers drive up emergency department (ED) visits in Ontario.
A recent study led by Antony Chum, an associate professor in York's Faculty of Health, challenges long-held beliefs about the impact of cannabis retail on public health and provides guidance for policymakers.
Antony Chum
This is the first study to investigate how a randomized lottery system for recreational cannabis licenses affects public health.
Ontario cannabis retailer licenses were distributed through a randomized lottery thereby creating a situation similar to a controlled experiment, which researchers refer to as a "natural experiment." In this case, it allowed researchers to track emergency department (ED) visit data across 278 communities and monitor over 11 million adults from 2016-23.
The study investigated the correlation between the opening of cannabis retails stores and ED visits related to cannabis, alcohol and opioids. Contrary to expectations, the findings showed no significant changes in ED visits following the opening of cannabis stores. This result was consistent even after conducting various sensitivity analyses, including examining different diagnostic codes and the co-use of cannabis with other substances.
"Our study provides critical evidence that the availability of retail cannabis does not significantly increase acute health-care demands in Ontario," says Chum, who is also the Canada Research Chair in Population Health Data Science. "This challenges the assumptions that increased accessibility to cannabis retailers would lead to higher health risks."
The study by Chum and his team - postdoctoral fellows Yihong Bai, Peiya Cao and Chungah Kim, as well as master's student Kristine Ienciu - is in press and will be published in the International Journal of Drug Policy in March.
Their research further suggests several factors may have contributed to their findings, including the pre-existing availability of cannabis through online sales, the geographic distribution of retailers and cannabis users that continue to purchase from the illegal market.
Results of the study contribute to a more evidence-based approach to policy development around regulated cannabis retail. Chum and his team recommend continuous monitoring, comprehensive sales tracking and integrated substance use prevention strategies for guidance on developing future policies.
The study further suggests that policymakers should consider regional factors, such as pricing and retail hours, to better understand substance-related health outcomes.
"These measures will help ensure that the public health impacts of cannabis legalization are thoroughly understood and managed," says Chum.
This story was originally featured in YFile, York University's community newsletter.
