Canada: Cannabis Legalization Did Not Increase Road Accidents

Modified on: 26/10/2023

THE GREEN LIGHT FOR RECREATIONAL USE OF CANNABIS WITHOUT NEGATIVE EFFECT ON ROAD SAFETY: THE DATA

It’s been over 5 years since Canada has become the second country in the world to legalize recreational use of cannabis, thanks to the ‘Cannabis Act’.

This long-awaited historic change has naturally been widely discussed and still leaves many prohibitionists puzzled.

Among the various vetoes regarding the legalization of marijuana, one claimed that such a move would increase road accidents frequency.

It’s been quite a long time; how do the statistics look like now?

Has road safety really decreased due to CBD flower use, or not?

Here’s the situation on the roads of Canada after the legalization of cannabis.

Legal Cannabis in Canada: What do the numbers tell us about road accidents?

Canada’s choice to legalize the use of cannabis has led to a whole lot of controversy and concerns under different perspectives, including the safety of citizens on the road.

However, those who stated against the legalization of Canadian weed, as reason for an increasing number of road accidents, had to change their mind.

Apparently, a study conducted right in Canada has shown that the Canadian road situation has not changed in terms of safety.

Read also: Cannabinology Course in Padua: How to Study Cannabis in Italian Universities

The results of this research, published on ScienceDirect, demonstrate that the implementation of the Cannabis Act has not led to an increased number of visits in emergency room following car accidents, neither in Ontario nor in Alberta.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers who participated in the study examined the data from the emergency department of both provinces, starting from those prior to the legalization law and comparing them with the data obtained after it.

Essentially, they examined pre and post cannabis legalization data.

Similar research has been conducted in other places as well.

Researchers at the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, for instance, conducted a study, published in The American Surgeon, which revealed that CBD weed cannot be associated with an increased number of road accidents victims with drivers tested positive for marijuana use.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine, on the other hand, focused specifically on fatal accidents involving pedestrians. The legalization of cannabis for medical or general use cannot be linked to them, as for this case as well.

Effects of Cannabis Legalization in Canada

The legalization of marijuana in Canada has not only been proven not to affect road safety negatively, but it has also had decidedly positive economic aspects.

Consider that in just the first two weeks of sales, the legalization of hemp had already reached $43 million and in the subsequent ten months, the CBD cannabis sector saw growth of 185%.

You wouldn’t believe!

We’re not done yet. The decision to legalize hemp has also had a significant impact on the fight against the black market.

As it turns out, the sale of legal hemp has managed to divert millions of dollars from illicit organizations.

Read also: Can you smoke cannabis leaves? Here’s what you need to know

Forward Regulatory Plan 2023-2025

Proposed changes regarding cannabis regulations by Health Canada aim to protect public health and safety, with particular attention to the protection of youth and other individuals from the risks associated with the use of inhaled cannabis extracts. These changes were presented this year (2023).

The changes include limitations on the production, sale, packaging, and labelling of inhaled cannabis extracts with certain flavors different from the natural ones.

These proposed restrictions are based on alignment with the proposed amendments to Lists 2 and 3 of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act regarding flavors and proposed standards for the sensory attributes of vape products.

Could this be a step back for Canada in terms of cannabis?

In conclusion

Overall, as we have seen in this article, the legalization of marijuana in Canada has been proven to be a true success!

Various research has not revealed alarming data regarding road safety; the country’s economy has grown, and the illegal market has been weakened to some extent.

All that will be taken into account by many other countries considering the idea of legalizing hemp, obviously.

In Italy, on the other hand, such outcome of the case is still in the progress; however, it remains only to wait and hope for the best!

To conclude, if you are keen on hemp flowers and derivatives (such as CBD oil and hashish), look at our shop, where you can purchase many exceptional items, perfect for your collection.

In our store, you can choose from a variety of legal hemp strains with high CBD concentration, selected from the best genetics!