Cannabis legalization: adhering to public health best practice.

©2015 8872147 Canada Inc. or its licensors CMAJ, November 3, 2015, 187(16) 1211 According to the 2011 United Nations World Drug Report, the prevalence of cannabis use in the Netherlands, where cannabis has been de facto legal for the last 40 years, is lower than in many other European countries, the United States and Canada.1 Jurisdictions that have recently legalized cannabis (Uruguay and four US states) or redefined cannabis legalization policies (Catalonia) may be expecting a similar result. However, if their policies governing cannabis are different, they may see different outcomes. In this article, we analyze cannabis legalization policies through a public health lens using a framework2 created from extensive data on tobacco3 and alcohol regulation.4 The aim of this article, and indeed the framework, is to go beyond reduction in use and include minimization of harms and realization of benefits.5 Cannabis policy will be a topic of debate in Canada in the lead-up to the federal election in October. The governing party favours the status quo, one of the competing political parties has promised decriminalization, and another party supports legalization.6 Surveys have shown that most Canadians are looking for change.7,8 We provide a resource for Canadian policy-makers looking to reform cannabis laws and a tool for researchers evaluating cannabis policies and their outcomes.