A roadmap for cannabis equity in Canada to inform the legislated review of the Cannabis Act

Toronto, Canada – A report released today (16th October 2023) by the Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation (CDPE) offers recommendations for advancing equitable cannabis policies in Canada.

Released to respond to the ongoing legislative review of the Cannabis Act, this new report provides a guide for improving equity and social justice after five years of Canada’s legalization and regulation of non-medical cannabis markets. A top line recommendation is that the purpose of the Cannabis Act be expanded to include the promotion of social responsibility and social equity in connection with cannabis.

“Canada has a transformational opportunity with the legislative review of the Cannabis Act to build cannabis policies that prioritize racial and social justice,” said Dr. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto and senior author of the report. “An essential first step is formally adding equity as a key goal of Canada’s cannabis policy alongside public health and safety objectives.”

Black and Indigenous people, who have been disproportionately negatively impacted by cannabis prohibition in Canada, as well as women, are notably absent from leadership positions within the Canadian cannabis industry. In comparison to many jurisdictions in the United States, Canadian legalization efforts have done little to explicitly address the harms caused by drug prohibition and to foster equity in the legal cannabis industry.