Neighborhoods within 1000 meters of cannabis retailers showed rising cannabis-related emergency visits, while unexposed neighborhoods saw declines.
The pattern suggests that commercialization and dense store clustering may elevate public health risks.
Cannabis Store Exposure Linked to Higher Rates of Harm
A population-based natural experiment explored how living near cannabis retail stores relates to cannabis-related harms. The analysis showed that neighborhoods with more retail access experienced higher rates of harm, and the increase was most pronounced in areas with a greater concentration of stores. According to the authors, limiting the total number of cannabis outlets, reducing clusters of stores, or restricting where they can open may provide meaningful public health protections. The study appears today (November 24) in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Large Ontario Dataset Used to Track Emergency Department Trends
Researchers from North York General Hospital and collaborating institutions examined health and demographic information from 6,140,595 Ontario residents aged 15 to 105 years who lived in 10,574 neighborhoods between April 2017 and December 2022. Their goal was to determine whether living near a cannabis retail store after legalization in October 2018 influenced neighborhood-level rates of cannabis-related emergency department (ED) visits.
Using provincial data on cannabis store locations, the team categorized neighborhoods as exposed (within 1000m of a cannabis retail store) or unexposed (more than 1000m from a cannabis retail store). The main health measure was the rate of cannabis-attributable ED visits per 100,000 people aged 15 years or older.
Urban, Low-Income Areas More Likely to Be Exposed
The researchers observed that exposed neighborhoods were more commonly found in large urban regions and in the lowest income quintile when compared with unexposed neighborhoods. Despite these differences, exposed neighborhoods did not show a rise in monthly cannabis-attributable ED visits after gaining access to a cannabis store. In contrast, unexposed neighborhoods experienced a decline in monthly ED visit rates over the same period.
Higher Store Density Connected to Rising ED Visits
When comparing the two groups, exposed neighborhoods had a 12% increase (CI, 6% to 19%) in the absolute rate of cannabis-attributable ED visits relative to unexposed neighborhoods. The analysis also indicated that neighborhoods with multiple cannabis stores located within 1000m saw larger increases in cannabis-related ED visits. These results suggest that legalization combined with widespread retail commercialization may carry different public health implications than legalization on its own.
Reference: “Effect of Nonmedical Cannabis Legalization and Exposure to Retail Stores on Cannabis Harms” by Erik Loewen Friesen, Michael Pugliese, Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin, Doug Manuel, Kumanan Wilson, Erin Hobin, Andrew D. Pinto and Daniel T. Myran, 24 November 2025, Annals of Internal Medicine.
DOI: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-01960
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8 Comments
That is the most bias, most ridiculous article that I have ever read. Why dont you do a story about living under cell towers, and how that effects people ? You might as well say people who are living next to a doctors office are getting sick more often.
You touch the law in effect to be able to buy my MEDICINE FOR EPILEPSY.
SEIZURE FREE SINCE 2013.
If you make changes that’s being attacked. Black market returns which makes you not able to know the truth.
Apparently you dont know. I use daily and able to live my life without you involved in my life with my choice and my neurologist. None of your business so do some better research speaking to better information.
If I have another seizure at 65 with my epilepsy having 18 grand mal seizures and died. Next seizure I will die.
You’ll have death on your lives.
Marijuana saves lives. Ive used it majority of my life to live. My highly recommended neurologist head of EPILEPSY FOUNDATION OF MICHIGAN DR GREGORY BARKLEY can educate you better. You really dont know.
This is made by some loser prohibitionist wannabe trying to act and sound “smart” when in reality is showing their true stupidity on this issue. Cannabis saves lives numskull and I need it daily for a quality of life so please go educate yourself. Stop living in your grandparents world. This is 2025 we want THC get over it.
Fake news on top of it
Any thing to justify that cannabis use will harm you, but nothing compares to tobacco and alcohol use.
Double standards.
This just in:
More kids are involved in school bus accidents than adults.
More DUIs happen within a mile of bars at 12 am.
More houses have cat hair in them when homeowners have pets.
What’s your point? Obviously you’ll see higher rates where the product is available. You also see the rate of reported use climb, too.
Further, THATS NOT EVEN WHAT THE PAPER CITED IS ABOUT, and its own title admits its not even a valuable source of reference.
You are not kidding, associated behaviors like smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol usually are side by side with THC usage.none of these behaviors are healthy with overindulging, moderate usage is always smart ,if you have to indulge
It’s hard to believe they actually paid someone to write this article.