Examining the Potential Impact of Recreational Cannabis Legalization on Individuals Receiving Treatment for Substance Use Disorder: An Interrupted Time Series Study in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Abstract

Objective: The present research evaluated the impact of legalizing recreational cannabis among individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) who may already use cannabis at high rates.

Method: Using an interrupted time series study design, we evaluated the potential impact of legalizing recreational cannabis among individuals seeking treatment for SUD within a hospital-based treatment setting in Guelph, Ontario. We examined 2,925 individuals who entered an inpatient SUD treatment program between April 2017 and December 2021. We performed segmented regression analyses using both the date of cannabis legalization and the date of edibles legalization as the interruption time point. We also performed stratified analyses to examine potential sex differences.

Results: We found no significant changes in the frequency of cannabis use using either of the interruption time points. However, among the subsample who had used cannabis, there was evidence of increasing CUD severity post-legalization of edibles, as well as an overall decreasing trend in readiness to quit over time. Stratified analyses also suggested possible sex differences in frequency of cannabis use, CUD severity, and readiness to quit.

Conclusions: Results point to some small but potentially important impacts of recreational cannabis legalization that may only continue with time. Nevertheless, there is a need to continue to monitor cannabis use trends over time to understand any potential lagged effects.