Cannabis Stores Research Articles

Geographic clustering of cannabis stores in Canadian cities: A spatial analysis of the legal cannabis market 4 years post-legalisation.

Following the legalisation of non-medical cannabis in 2018, the number of cannabis stores in Canada has rapidly expanded with limited regulation on their geographic placement. This study characterised the clustering of cannabis stores in Canadian cities and evaluated the association of clustering with provincial policy and sociodemographic variables. Cross-sectional spatial analysis of cannabis store density in dissemination areas ('neighbourhoods', n = 39,226) in Canadian cities in September 2022. Cannabis store density was defined as the count of stores within 1000 m of a neighbourhood centre. Clusters of high-density cannabis retail were identified using Local Indicators of Spatial Autocorrelation. Associations between provincial policy (privatised vs. public market), sociodemographic variables and cannabis store density were evaluated using multivariable regression. Clusters of high-density cannabis retail were identified in 86% of Canadian cities, and neighbourhoods in clusters had a median of 5 stores within 1000 m. Toronto, Canada's most populous city, had the most extreme clustering where neighbourhoods in clusters had a median of 10 stores (and a maximum of 25 stores) within 1000 m. Neighbourhoods in private versus public retail markets had a significantly higher neighbourhood-level density of cannabis stores (adjusted rate ratio [aRR] 63.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 25.66-156.33). Lower neighbourhood income quintile was also associated with a higher neighbourhood-level density of cannabis stores (Q5 vs. Q1, aRR 1.28, 95% CI 1.17-1.40). Since cannabis was legalised, clusters of high-density cannabis retail have emerged in most Canadian cities and were more likely to form lower income neighbourhoods and in private retail markets.

Perinatal Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use during Breastfeeding: the Role of Health Care Workers.

This study aimed to estimate the proportion of perinatal women reporting a health care worker (HCW) discussed cannabis use during pregnancy or breastfeeding with them and to evaluate the association between HCWs' discussions and perinatal cannabis use and cannabis use while breastfeeding. Data from Health eMoms (a longitudinal, state-representative survey of Colorado mothers, collected from 2018 to 2020 [n = 3,193]) were utilized in logistic regressions assessing the relationship between HCW discussions about cannabis and perinatal cannabis use and cannabis use while breastfeeding at two time points postpartum, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. A total of 5.8% of the sample reported cannabis use either during their most recent pregnancy or while breastfeeding at 3 to 6 months' postpartum. A total of 67.8% of the sample reported an HCW-discussed cannabis at prenatal visits. Women reporting perinatal use were more likely to report HCW discussing cannabis compared with nonusers (82.2 vs. 65.3%, p < 0.01). There was not a significant association between HCW discussions and cannabis use while breastfeeding at either time point postpartum. Compared with nonusers, women using perinatally were more likely to report cannabis Web sites (28.9 vs. 6.5%), cannabis stores (15.7 vs. 3.8%), or word-of-mouth (28.4 vs. 17.1%) as trusted sources of cannabis-related information. HCW discussions about cannabis use during pregnancy or breastfeeding are not universally reported. This study highlights the need for further encouragement of universal HCW discussions of cannabis use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, strengthening of messaging around cannabis use during these periods, and improved delivery of reliable cannabis-related health information to this population. · HCW discussions of perinatal cannabis use are not universally reported by women.. · Women reporting perinatal use were more likely to report HCW discussions of cannabis.. · Women reporting perinatal cannabis use were more likely to trust word-of-mouth or cannabis stores or Web sites..

Green rush in Phuket: big-data evidence of cannabis commercialization in a tourism-centric area

ABSTRACT Thailand has pioneered legalizing cannabis for medical purposes in Asia. This study focuses on drug tourism and the supply of cannabis in Phuket. Geospatial analysis reveals a notably positive association between cannabis stores and hotels, thus providing evidence of misuse of cannabis since its decriminalization. Despite advisory warnings discouraging tourists from leisure cannabis consumption, cannabis outlets could increase significantly in areas centered around hotels. The result reveals the urgency of nuanced destination management. Without regulation, suppliers are poised to primarily cater to the tourist, thus potentially distorting the purpose of decriminalization and neglecting the negative externalities imposed on the destination.

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

The accessibility of legal cannabis in Canada may influence how consumers source their cannabis. The aims of this study were to examine (a) the distance between respondents' homes and legal retail stores, (b) the cannabis sources used in the past 12 months, and (c) the association between cannabis sources used and distance to legal retail stores. Data were analyzed from Canadian respondents participating in the International Cannabis Policy Study from 2019 to 2021. Respondents were 15,311 past-12-month cannabis consumers of legal age to purchase cannabis. Weighted logistic regression models examined cannabis sources used and their association with the Euclidean distance to the nearest legal store, province of residence, and year (n = 12,928). Respondents lived closer to a legal retail store in 2021 (1.5 km) versus 2019 (6.8 km) as the number of retail stores increased. Respondents in 2020 and 2021 had higher odds of obtaining cannabis from legal sources (e.g., legal stores: 47.9% and 60.0% vs. 38.6%, respectively, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] range: 1.41-2.42) and lower odds of obtaining cannabis from illegal sources versus 2019 (e.g., dealers: 22.6% and 19.9% vs. 29.1%, respectively, AOR range: 0.65-0.54). Respondents who lived closest to legal stores had higher odds of sourcing from legal stores and lower odds of sourcing from legal websites or growing their own cannabis. Legal cannabis stores are increasingly accessible to people living in Canada 3 years after legalization. Household proximity to a legal cannabis store was associated with sourcing cannabis from legal retail stores, but only among those who live very close (<3 km). Findings suggest that proximity to legal cannabis stores may aid uptake of the legal market, yet there may be diminishing returns after a certain point.

Collisions and cannabis: Measuring the effect of recreational marijuana legalization on traffic crashes in Washington State

Objective Washington State was among the first states in the US to legalize recreational consumption and retail sales of marijuana. Recreational use of cannabis was legalized December 6, 2012, following the passage of Initiative 502 30 days prior. Roughly 19 months later the first retail cannabis stores opened their doors for public sales (“commercialization”). I measure the impact of cannabis legalization and commercialization on traffic collisions in Washington State. Methods With county-level vehicle crash data from the Washington State Department of Transportation collected monthly, I utilize an interrupted time-series framework with Poisson estimation to compare traffic collisions with recreational retail cannabis sales revenue from 2011 (three years pre-commercialization) through 2017 (three years post-commercialization). First, I measure the shift in collisions brought about by Washington’s 2012 cannabis legalization. Then, I compare retail cannabis sales—a measure of commercialization—to traffic collisions based on severity of injury (fatal, severe injury, minor injury, non-injury, and all). Results After controlling for confounding factors, evidence suggests that recreational cannabis legalization led to fewer fatal and serious injury collisions. Retail cannabis sales generally correlate with more traffic collisions, particularly for less severe (minor injury) crashes. These findings are robust to the inclusion of additional control variables pertaining to county-level cannabis usage and driving behavior while intoxicated. Conclusions Cannabis legalization led to fewer fatal, serious, and minor injury collisions. Commercialization (cannabis sales) correlated with an increase in less severe crashes. Although cannabis use generally increased in Washington State following legalization/commercialization, survey data suggest that driving behavior while under the influence of cannabis did not change significantly over the post-commercialization period. Future research should focus on measuring the dose-dependent impact of cannabis consumption on traffic collisions. This should include recognition of the importance of cannabis dosing, timing, and route of consumption. Lastly, the dangers of poly-drug driving—particularly cannabis and alcohol—are well established and should be high priority for further research.

Recreational Marijuana Legalization, Local Retail Availability, and Alcohol and Marijuana Use and Co-Use Among California High School Students.

This study examined whether recreational marijuana legalization (RML) and local retail availability were associated with marijuana and alcohol use and co-use among adolescents. We investigated associations between RML and past-30-day marijuana and alcohol use and co-use, and moderating effects of retail availability of marijuana and alcohol, using data from the 2010-2011 to 2018-2019 California Healthy Kids Surveys (CHKS) of 9th and 11th grade students in 38 California cities. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression analyses were conducted, controlling for secular trends and student and city demographics. Additional analyses examined associations of RML and retail availability with co-use among subgroups of drinkers and marijuana users. For the full sample, RML was inversely associated with alcohol use but was not significantly associated with marijuana use or co-use with alcohol. However, significant interactions between RML and marijuana outlet density showed that there were increases in marijuana and alcohol co-use and alcohol following legalization in cities with higher densities of marijuana outlets. RML was positively associated with co-use among non-heavy and heavy drinkers, but inversely related to co-use among occasional and frequent marijuana users. A significant positive interaction between RML and marijuana outlet density indicated that RML was associated with increases in co-use for occasional marijuana users in cities with higher densities of marijuana outlets. RML was associated with increases in marijuana and alcohol co-use and alcohol use among California high school students, particularly those in cities with higher densities of retail cannabis stores, although this varied across alcohol and marijuana use subgroups.

Did the cannabis recreational use law affect traffic crash outcomes in Toronto? Building evidence for the adequate number of authorised cannabis stores' thresholds.

In the past decade, a group of studies has begun to explore the association between cannabis recreational use policies and traffic crashes. After these policies are set in place, several factors may affect cannabis consumption, including the number of cannabis stores (NCS) per capita. This study examines the association between the enactment of Canada's Cannabis Act (CCA) (18 October 2018) and the NCS (allowed to function from 1 April 2019) with traffic injuries in Toronto. We explored the association of the CCA and the NCS with traffic crashes. We applied two methods: hybrid difference-in-difference (DID) and hybrid-fuzzy DID. We used generalised linear models using CCA and the NCS per capita as the main variables of interest. We adjusted for precipitation, temperature and snow. Information is gathered from Toronto Police Service, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and Environment Canada. The period of analysis was from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2019. Regardless of the outcome, neither the CCA nor the NCS is associated with concomitant changes in the outcomes. In hybrid DID models, the CCA is associated with non-significant decreases of 9% (incidence rate ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.74,1.11) in traffic crashes and in the hybrid-fuzzy DID models, the NCS are associated with nonsignificant decreases of 3% (95% confidence interval - 9%, 4%) in the same outcome. This study observes that more research is needed to better understand the short-term effects (April to December 2019) of NCS in Toronto on road safety outcomes.

An examination of cannabis-related information typically asked by consumers at retail cannabis locations: A Canadian survey of budtenders and managers.

Since cannabis has been legalized in Canada for medicinal and recreational use, there has been an increased demand on pharmacists for cannabis counselling. The aim of the study was to examine typical questions posed by consumers to managers and budtenders working at licensed recreational cannabis stores in Canada and to assess how often consumers seek unlicensed medical advice to treat various conditions using cannabis. An online survey was synthesized, consisting of 22 questions capturing demographics and Likert scale responses to survey questions, and was distributed online across Canada from January to June 2021. There were 211 survey respondents: 91 budtenders and 120 managers. A total of 87.7% (n = 185) of respondents indicated that they receive questions related to cannabis use for medical purposes and/or perceived medical benefit, with the same number indicating that they have been told by a customer that their physician sent them to obtain a cannabis-containing product for medical purposes. The most common cannabis component asked about in an average day was THC (42% of responses). An alarming proportion of budtenders and managers in Canada report that they are fielding medical cannabis questions. This situation has the potential to put individuals at risk for drug-drug interactions and drug-disease interactions and to increase unnecessary hospitalizations due to adverse effects.

Access to legal cannabis market in Canada over the four years following non-medical cannabis legalisation.

An increasing number of countries are inthe process of legalising non-medical cannabis. We described how the legal market has changed over the first 4 years following legalisation in Canada. We collected longitudinal data on operating status and location of all legal cannabis stores in Canada for the first 4 years following legalisation. We examined per capita stores and sales, store closures, and the drive time between stores and each neighbourhood in Canada. We compared measures between public and private retail systems. Four years after legalisation, there were 3305 cannabis stores open in Canada (10.6 stores per 100,000 individuals aged 15+ years). Canadians spent $11.85CAD a month on cannabis per individual aged 15+ years, and 59% of neighbourhoods were within a 5-minute drive of a cannabis store. Over 4 years, per capita stores and per capita sales increased each year by an average of 122.3% and 91.7%, respectively, with larger increases in private versus public systems (4.01 times greater for per capita stores and 2.46 times greater for per capita sales). The annual increase in per capita stores and sales during the first 3 years was 6.0 and 15.5 times greater, respectively, than the increase in the fourth year following legalisation. Over 4 years, 7% of retail store locations permanently closed. The legal cannabis market in Canada expanded enormously over the first 4 years following legalisation, with considerable variation in access between jurisdictions. The rapid retail expansion has implications for evaluation of health impacts of non-medical legalisation.

Does expanding access to cannabis affect traffic crashes? County-level evidence from recreational marijuana dispensary sales in Colorado.

This article examines the effect of recreational cannabis dispensary sales on traffic crashes by employing difference-in-differences model that exploits the variation in the timing of recreational marijuana dispensary entry across counties within Colorado. Using marijuana-related hospital discharge as a measure of marijuana abuse/misuse, the results indicate a sizable rise in marijuana-related hospital discharges after the entry of retail cannabis stores. However, there is a lack of evidence that traffic crash incidents are affected by the entry. The preferred estimate suggests that, at 90% confidence level, a large increase in traffic crashes by more than 5% can be ruled out.

Characteristics of the Washington cannabis market from 2014 to 2016

BackgroundThe state of Washington legalized cannabis for adult use in 2012 and retail stores began to open in 2014. While details of the legal market have been tracked by the state, the total market for cannabis and characteristics of purchasers can only be identified through surveys.MethodsSix cross-sectional samples of the Privatization of Spirits in Washington (PSW) surveys were collected between January 2014 and October 2016 with two in each year. Random digit dial procedures were used to recruit a sample aged 18 and older, with 40% of cases from mobile phones. A total of 5492 respondents participated. Analyses of the population-weighted sample utilized purchasing amounts and frequencies, use frequency and related measures to estimate total and mean amounts and expenditures. Sensitivity analyses were conducted for key assumptions.ResultsThe market for cannabis flower is estimated to have increased from 158 metric tons and $1.23 billion in 2014 to 222 metric tons and $1.7 billion in 2016, with little change from 2014 to 2015. Purchases from legal sources, retail and dispensaries, were estimated at 69% of the total market. Daily or near daily (DND) users accounted for about 83% of sales in 2014, rising to 91% in 2016. The prevalence of past year use rose substantially from 25% in 2014 to 32% in 2016, with DND use rising from 10.2 to 11.3%. Average purchase amounts for DND users rose from 291 g in 2014 to 374 g in 2016, while mean amounts among non-DND users declined from 78 to 28.6 g.ConclusionsThe expansion of retail cannabis stores in Washington appears to have led to increased market size in 2016 with all of the increase attributed to DND users. Frequent users may be important to consider in legalization evaluations.

A description of self-medication with cannabis among adults with legal access to cannabis in Quebec, Canada

ObjectiveCannabis is increasingly used for medical purposes, particularly in countries like Canada where cannabis was recently legalized for recreational use. We aimed to assess self-medication with cannabis post-cannabis legalization among adults in the Canadian province of Quebec.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional online survey of a self-selected convenience sample conducted in Quebec, Canada, from November 2020 to January 2021. Individuals aged ≥ 21 years who endorsed using cannabis bought in legal recreational cannabis stores to self-medicate a health condition were included. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stratified according to sex, age, and the type of cannabis use (exclusively medical versus medical and recreational use).ResultsFour hundred eighty-nine participants were included. The median age was 34 years, and 48% were women. About 25% reported exclusive medical use of cannabis. Treated conditions included anxiety (70%), insomnia (56%), pain (53%), depression (37%), and many others. Reasons for not consulting in cannabis clinics included lack of information (52%), the complexity of the process (39%), accessibility of cannabis clinics (23%), and others.Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) dosage > 20% was reported by 32%. Smoking was the main route of use (81%). Possession of prescribed drugs was reported by 56%. Professionals consulted for information on cannabis included recreational cannabis store agents (36%), physicians (29%), and others.Overall, significant differences were observed for many of the comparisons according to sex, age, and the type of cannabis use.ConclusionsMany conditions are self-medicated with cannabis. The use of high doses of cannabis, smoking as a preferred method of use, and concurrent use of other medications may pose some risks to individuals. Addressing the reported barriers to medical access to cannabis is urgently needed.

Perceived access to cannabis and ease of purchasing cannabis in retail stores in Canada immediately before and one year after legalization

ABSTRACT Background: Canada legalized non-medical cannabis in October 2018. Little research has examined the change in perceived access to cannabis after legalization in Canada, including the perceived ease of purchasing cannabis in a legal market. Objectives: To: 1) describe changes in perceived ease of access to cannabis before and one year after legalization; 2) examine associations between perceived ease of cannabis access and cannabis use; and 3) examine associations between perceived ease of purchasing from cannabis stores and cannabis use. Methods: Repeat cross-sectional data come from Canadian respondents aged 16–65 (50% male) in August-October 2018 (n = 10,057) and September-October 2019 (n = 15,256). Respondents were recruited through commercial online panels. Multivariable logistic regression models examined correlates of perceived proximity to retail stores, ease of access, and ease of purchasing from retail stores. Results: Canadians who do not consume cannabis were more likely to report “easy” access to cannabis in 2019 than in 2018 (55% vs. 42%; AOR = 1.80:1.66,1.96). All cannabis consumer groups were more likely to report living 15 minutes or less from a retail store in 2019 than 2018, but the association was strongest among non-consumers in 2019 vs 2018 (AOR = 2.01:183,2.21 vs. AOR = 1.33:1.03,1.73 for daily consumers). Non-daily and daily cannabis consumers were more likely to report it was easy to purchase from an illegal (AOR ranged 1.58–2.22) or legal (AOR ranged 1.31–1.39) store than non-consumers in 2019. Conclusion: Most cannabis consumers and non-consumers perceived access to cannabis as ‘easy’ before legalization and the percentage increased one year after legalization.

Cannabis Industry Marketing Violations in Washington State, 2014–2019

The purpose of this study was to describe marketing violations from the cannabis industry in Washington State. The study team obtained records of all Washington State cannabis marketing violations from October 2014 to September 2015, immediately following the legal cannabis market opening, and May 2017 to July 2019. A code book was developed based on the Washington State regulations related to marijuana advertising. Each marketing violation was coded according to ad characteristics including ad size, location, or type; content; business practices; and lack of mandatory health warnings. A total of 328 violations were analyzed, from 183 different businesses. Marketing violations occurred most frequently in content posted online or directly in front of cannabis stores. Community members were as likely to identify violations as officers from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB), the state agency in charge of regulation and enforcement of cannabis businesses. Very few violations were reported from competing members of the cannabis industry. Violations reported by the community were mostly related to content appealing to minors, whereas WSLCB officers were more likely to identify violations related to ad location in public spaces and ad size. This study shows the conflict between prevention and profit in the nascent cannabis industry and the importance of community involvement in the regulation of cannabis marketing.

Buying Native Sovereignty

For centuries, outside business organizations have sought to enter into business relationships with indigenous populations, often benefitting both parties. However, the power imbalance that foreign settlers had over indigenous peoples often led to exploitative relationships whereby the indigenous people were marginalized and at times treated inhumanely. While the nature of trade and relationships has changed over time, the special status that native tribes enjoy in U.S.A. continues to attract attention from business enterprises. In the past few years, various organizations have found it advantageous to their business interests to engage in transactions with Native American tribes. Three specific examples are described: Allergan transferred patent rights to a tribe to circumvent a U.S. patent review panel; Tesla opened a store and service center on native land in New Mexico to get around the state’s dealership laws; and Lume Cannabis Co. opened retail stores on native lands in Michigan near communities that had decided to not license recreational cannabis stores. All three examples raise questions over the ethics of buying access to native sovereignty. Students are asked to apply ethical theories to try and identify what distinguishes ethical and unethical transactions.

401 - Cannabis and Older Adults

The National Cannabis Survey results indicates that cannabis consumption among older adults has been accelerating at a much faster pace than other age groups in Canada. Internationally, an increasing number of countries and U.S. states have also legalized medical and non-medical cannabis.More than 1500 physicians, nurse practitioners, other healthcare providers, healthcare students, older adults and caregivers of older adults responded to a needs assessment survey on Cannabis and Older Adults distributed by the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health (CCSMH) in the fall of 2020.Responses showed that 89% of physicians and nurse practitioners and 76% of other healthcare providers are aware of older patients in their practice using cannabis. Despite this fact, only 39% of physicians and nurse practitioners and 26% of other healthcare providers feel strongly or very strongly that they have sufficient knowledge and expertise to address older patients’ and theircaregivers’ questions about cannabis.Older adults who responded to the survey indicated that their most common reasons for using cannabis were pain, sleep and anxiety. Fifty-one percent responded that they had talked to their doctor or healthcare provider about cannabis but 41% of those older adults stated that their doctor or healthcare provider were unable to answer their questions. Older adults reported they access information on cannabis from the internet (45%), physicians (40%), friends and family (34%), cannabis stores and clinics (28%), the media (24%), and other healthcare providers (16%). Fifty-four percent of older adult respondents who use cannabis do so with a prescription or medical authorization from their physician/nurse practitioner for medical/therapeutic reasons. One quarter of respondents indicated they use cannabis for non-medical reasons (for recreational use).Although there is a reported gap in knowledge regarding cannabis and older adults, physicians, nurse practitioners, other healthcare providers and healthcare students all reported they are eager to learn more about how to talk with patients, how to authorize and prescribe cannabis appropriately, how to mitigate risks and assess for cannabis use disorder in older adults. CCSMH will be launching a physician- accredited e-learning course on Cannabis and Older Adults in January 2022.

Relationships between increases in Canadian cannabis stores, sales, and prevalence

BackgroundThis study estimated the relationships between increases in legal cannabis stores, legal cannabis sales, and cannabis prevalence in Canadian provinces between 2018 and 2020. MethodGovernment data were used to calculate changes in licensed store numbers, retail sales dollars, and past-three-month users in 10 provinces across six time periods. The resulting N = 60 observations were standardized per million residents aged 15 and up, and then analyzed via linear regression. ResultsStore growth explained 46.3% of the variation in provincial sales growth; each added store was associated with added quarterly sales of $305 (95% CI: $208 to $402) thousand. By contrast, store growth explained only 7.7% of the variation in provincial user growth; each added store was associated with 696 (95% CI: 58–1334) added users. ConclusionFrom 2018 to 2020, Canada’s rapid cannabis retail expansion was strongly related to legal sales growth but only weakly related to prevalence growth. This implies prevalence growth during that period was related more to legalization’s other aspects and/or to the continuation of already-existing trends.

How has access to legal cannabis changed over time? An analysis of the cannabis retail market in Canada 2 years following the legalisation of recreational cannabis

This study describes the legal recreational cannabis market across Canada over the 2 years following legalisation. We compared changes in access to the legal cannabis retail market for all provinces and territories (jurisdictions) in Canada and explored differences between jurisdictions. We collected data for all legal cannabis stores in Canada over five time periods following legalisation in October 2018. We examined the following measures by jurisdiction and retail model (public vs. private operation): absolute and per capita store numbers, hours of operation and store access across neighbourhoods. Two years following legalisation, there were a total of 1183 legal cannabis stores open across Canada (3.7 stores per 100 000 individuals aged 15+). There was wide variation between jurisdictions in access to retail stores, with the lowest stores per capita in Quebec and Ontario (0.6 and 1.6 per 100 000), and the highest in Alberta and Yukon (14.3 per 100 000 in both). Jurisdictions with private retail models had more stores (4.8 vs. 1.0 per 100 000), held greater median weekly hours (80 vs. 69) and experienced greater store growth over time compared to public models. After adjusting for confounders, there were 1.96 times (95% confidence intervals: 1.84, 2.09) more cannabis stores within 1000 m of the lowest- compared to the highest-income quintile neighbourhoods. While access to the recreational cannabis retail market has increased following legalisation, there is substantial variation in access between jurisdictions and evidence of concentration in lower-income neighbourhoods. These differences may contribute to disparities in cannabis use and harms.

Media representations of COVID-19 public health policies: assessing the portrayal of essential health services in Canadian print media

AimsThe study assessed how the Canadian print media represented essential healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the controversial decision to include liquor and cannabis stores in essential services lists.MethodsMixed-method content analysis of 67 articles published in major Canadian English language newspapers between March 23 and April 1, 2020. Articles were analyzed and coded by two raters. Ratings were analyzed in SPSS.ResultsFew articles in the sample discussed essential healthcare services and the inclusion of liquor and cannabis stores in essential services lists. Majority of the articles that discussed both topics framed the discussion positively and consistently with current knowledge and evidence.ConclusionCanadian print media representations of essential healthcare services and associated public debate are largely descriptive and, therefore, fail to engage critically with or advance public understanding of an important health policy issue.

Association between county level cannabis dispensary counts and opioid related mortality rates in the United States: panel data study

ObjectiveTo examine county level associations between the prevalence of medical and recreational cannabis stores (referred to as dispensaries) and opioid related mortality rates.DesignPanel regression methods.Setting812 counties in the United States...