After 12 years as Prime Minister, he is stepping down…here is a look back on Justin Trudeau’s long involvement with cannabis.

Justin Trudeau’s journey with cannabis legalization in Canada is a story of personal experience, political conviction, and transformative policy-making. As the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Justin’s perspective on marijuana was shaped by a family incident involving his younger brother Michel. In 1998, Michel Trudeau was caught with marijuana during a traffic stop. Thanks to their father’s connections and resources, the charges were dropped.

This event highlighted the inequalities in Canada’s drug laws, where those with means could avoid consequences while others faced criminal records. Justin Trudeau later reflected on this, stating, “That’s one of the fundamental unfairnesses of this current system is that it affects different communities in a different way”.

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Trudeau’s personal history with cannabis extends beyond family experiences. In 2013, he admitted to smoking marijuana at a dinner party in his Montreal home in 2008, after he had already been elected as a Member of Parliament. In a sign of changing norms,
the admission, while controversial, did not significantly impact his political career.

Following legalization, Trudeau’s government announced plans to create a simplified, free process for pardoning individuals with simple possession records. This move aimed to address the historical inequities in cannabis law enforcement.Trudeau’s approach to cannabis legalization reflects a combination of personal experience, pragmatic policy-making, and a commitment to social justice. By moving from prohibition to regulation, Canada under Trudeau’s leadership has embarked on a significant social and legal experiment, the results of which continue to unfold.

As Trudeau ends one chapter and starts another, he will continue to be a champion of cannabis.

In another positive reason for cannabis legalization – teen use continues to drop.

These findings support the argument that regulated marijuana markets for adults, with appropriate safeguards, can effectively deter youth access and use. The data suggests that legalization policies can be implemented in a manner that provides regulated access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse.

As more states consider legalizing marijuana, this evidence can inform policymakers and public health officials in developing effective strategies to protect youth while allowing adult use. The ongoing decline in teen marijuana use demonstrates that legalization, when properly implemented, does not necessarily lead to increased adolescent consumption and may even contribute to its reduction.