Face of Nation : Private cannabis stores tend to be closer to primary and secondary schools than government-run stores are, according to a new study that compares legally operating recreational cannabis outlets across Canada.
There are also 49 per cent more private stores per capita in jurisdictions where they can operate, and they’re open an average of 9.2 more hours each week than government-run outlets.
But all cannabis stores — private and government-run — are about twice as likely to be found in lower-income neighbourhoods than high-income neighbourhoods, the study found.
Researchers at the Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa and the Bruyère Research Institute used government and private websites to collect listings on retail cannabis stores that opened across Canada in the first six months after the drug was legalized in October 2018.
Daniel Myran, the study’s lead researcher, told CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning the study was conducted with the goals of legalization — replacing the illicit market and restricting youth access to the drug — in mind.
The concern over private stores tending to be closer to schools needs to be weighed against more private stores being able to open faster, Myran said, which can help contribute to the elimination of the black market.
“I think it speaks to the two goals of legalization and that there could be a tension between the two,” he said. Looking at previous studies of alcohol and tobacco could hold some clues. With tobacco, for example, studies have shown that less advertising in a store can help reduce consumption among youths, despite proximity to schools.
