The Physical Availability of Cannabis Stores and Cannabis Use and Harms: A Systematic Review
Cantor, N., Silverman, M., Gaudreault, A., Hutton, B., Brown, C., Elton-Marshall, T., Imtizad, S., Sikora, L., Tanuseputro, P., Myran, D.,
This systematic review, encompassing 22 studies and 32 distinct primary analyses, examined the relationship between physical cannabis retail access, harmful cannabis use, and related health harms. The primary exposure of interest was the accessibility of physical cannabis stores, while the outcomes examined were: 1) frequent or problematic cannabis use 2) health issues associated with cannabis use leading to healthcare encounters 3) cannabis use during pregnancy, and adverse neonatal birth outcomes.
The results showed a consistent association between greater cannabis retail access and 1) increased cannabis-related healthcare service utilization (8/9 studies, 89%), 2) increased cannabis use and cannabis-related hospitalization during pregnancy (4/4 studies, 100%), and 3) frequent cannabis use in adults and young adults (6/10, 60%). These findings caution that allowing greater legal cannabis retail store availability may result in increases in harmful patterns of cannabis use and cannabis- harms.