Justin Trudeau's legacy: Cannabis legalization tops his list of political achievements

Whereas Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has just stepped down from his post; a new poll by the’Angus Reid Institute highlights what Canadians consider to be his most significant political achievement: the cannabis legalization.

According to the poll, 52 % of those surveyed consider this reform a success, making it the Trudeau administration’s most popular achievement.

A historic reform with broad support

The Canada has legalized cannabis for adult use at the federal level in 2018, thereby fulfilling one of Mr. Trudeau’s key campaign promises. Although the implementation of the reform faced numerous challenges, the policy achieved its main objective: to bring a large portion of consumers into the legal market.

As shown by the investigation According to the Angus Reid Institute, legalization received stronger public approval than other major initiatives, including pandemic management (47 %), the expansion of social services (46 %), and the response to the war between Ukraine and Russia (45 %).

Other policies, such as the’ban on assault-style firearms (39 % for approval), the initiatives to promote gender equality (38 %) and the introduction of a federal carbon tax (19 %) received much less support. At the bottom of the scale, efforts to complete a oil pipeline (17 %), to combat the’inflation (14 %) and to reform the immigration policy (10 %) were deemed less successful.

The Impact of Cannabis Legalization

Since its implementation, and in light of the’lack of criticism from the international community, Canada's legal framework for cannabis has helped steer consumers away from black market. According to a government report published in December, 97% for consumers are now able to obtain cannabis legally. This development runs counter to the concerns of prohibitionists, who believed that legalization risked not to curb illegal sales or lead to an increase in consumption among young people. The Alcohol consumption among young people has not increased, or has even decreased.

Correlation or causation? Some studies have linked the legalization of cannabis to a decline in beer sales, suggesting that consumers might replace alcohol with cannabis. Another study found that the proportion of high school students who report that cannabis is easy to obtain has decreased in recent years, indicating improved regulation and enforcement.

Despite its success, the legalization of cannabis has had some unexpected effects. For example, the Decline in Enrollment in Canada's Medical Cannabis Program following the legalization of adult use. Some experts speculate that patients might opt for recreational products instead of going through the medical system.

Furthermore, if Canada’s approach to cannabis regulation differs from that of the United States, where legalization remains fragmented and cannabis is still prohibited at the federal level, public support for reform in both countries appears to be similar. A study published earlier this year revealed that rates of cannabis use and support for legalization were nearly identical on both sides of the border.