• Posted April 23, 2025

Teen Cannabis Use Rises in Canada After Edibles Are Legalized

WEDNESDAY, April 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Teen cannabis use rose significantly in parts of Canada after edibles were legalized, a new study shows.

The study found a 26% increase in teen cannabis use in provinces that began selling cannabis edibles and extracts in October 2019. Use of edibles alone jumped 43%, researchers reported April 18 in JAMA Network Open.

Cannabis products like chocolates, candies and sodas can be more appealing to teens — raising concerns about how legalization may influence youth behavior, CNN reported.

“This finding is important in light of previous literature regarding potential long-term adverse health effects of cannabis use for adolescents,” Dr. Hai Van Nguyen, a professor of pharmacy at Memorial University of Newfoundland, told CNN in an email.

Researchers surveyed more than 106,000 Canadian students between the ages of 12 and 17. In Quebec, where edibles remain banned, teen cannabis use didn't change.

Canada first legalized dried cannabis in 2018, and most provinces followed a year later by allowing sales of edibles. 

While Canadian law bans sales to anyone under 18, this study suggests legalization may have made cannabis seem safer or even easier to access.

Teens perceived less harm from occasional cannabis use after it became legal, researchers noted in the study.

Cannabis use in teens has been linked to mental health problems like anxiety, depression and a higher risk of long-term conditions like schizophrenia. It can also affect brain areas tied to decision-making and learning, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What's more, using cannabis and alcohol together was also more common after legalization. That behavior increased by 28%, the study found.

“Some (studies) suggest that cannabis use during adolescence, especially heavy use, could alter brain development,” Joshua Gowin, an assistant professor of radiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “If you start using earlier, it may be harder to change that trajectory later on.”

Nguyen said public education campaigns to raise awareness of the risks of teen use are an essential expense.

“It’s not about scaring people,” Gowin said. “Honesty and truth can be at the forefront of the conversations and hopefully people can make up their own minds about what’s the best thing for them, their families and their communities.”

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on cannabis and teens.

SOURCE: CNN, April 22, 2025