Decreasing Youth Cannabis Consumption in Canada: a realistic approach?

The official objectives of cannabis legalization in Canada are two-fold:  reducing criminal involvement in the sale of cannabis; and reducing its availability to youth 

Research shows, however, that the majority of cannabis suppliers have no ties to organized crime. Other studies document the prominence of social networks of supply, among young people in particular, which puts distance between users and suppliers of the drug (Hathaway et al., 2018).

These study findings are consistent with each other. They cast doubt on the coherence of the primary objectives of the federal government. As a result, the goals of cannabis legalization are based on faulty premises about the characteristics of the illicit market and associated patterns of supply.  Black market distribution is to be expected to continue—due, in part and ironically, to stringent measures enacted in the name of health and safety.  

The experience of other jurisdictions is instructive. For example, since Washington legalized the sale of recreational cannabis six years ago, the state has remained concerned about black market diversion. Reducing small-scale trafficking offences, imposing high taxes for production, and price markups by retailers have kept the black market preferable for many cannabis users, particularly racial and ethnic minority youth (Jensen & Roussell, 2016).  

This has made decreasing youth consumption unrealistic, particularly given that legally-produced drugs are expected to be diverted to the black market for underage consumption.

  

Prioritizing the ‘prevention’ of substance use by youth, whether under complete prohibition or enlightened regulation, is a harmful tendency that continues the tradition of neglecting decades of sociological research on young people’s drug use practices and experiences of use. Informal rules observed by the majority of users favour patterns of consumption characterized by moderation to avoid developing drug use-related problems (Hathaway, 2004). Exercising due discretion and subcultural awareness that discourages risk taking in substance use behaviour have long been recognized as being more effective influences than formal mechanisms of control. 

Evidence-based policy development for cannabis requires the articulation of more informed and realistic goals of harm reduction, as opposed to ‘crime prevention’ and the preoccupation with preventing use by youth. A logically consistent view of cannabis legalization demands attention to developing a public health perspective on drug use-related problems that moves beyond the uninformed view that equates to “just say no.”

Andy Hathaway is an Associate Professor who teaches sociology and crime and criminal justice at the University of Guelph. His primary research contributions are in the areas of drug use, harm reduction, human rights, and Canadian drug policy. His research on cannabis, spanning over two decades, examines use in marginalized and mainstream populations, and draws out implications for social policy development.

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