Getting it Right from the Start
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As a project of the Public Health Institute, we collaboratively develop and test models of optimal cannabis policy (retail practices, marketing & taxation) with the goal of reducing harms, youth use & problem use. These models are based on the best scientific evidence and guided by the principles of public health, social justice, and equity. We also provide technical assistance to jurisdictions co
05/26/2026
As more countries and jurisdictions consider expanding access to cannabis, an important question is emerging: What happens when a medicinal product becomes a commercial industry?
In a recent hashtag feature examining medicinal cannabis prescribing in the Channel Islands of and , Getting it Right from the Start's Dr. Lynn Silver shared lessons from the United States that policymakers around the world should not ignore.
Dr. Silver warned of the "insane promotion" of ma*****na use for a wide array of clinical conditions for which it is not effective—and may even be harmful. She also cautioned policymakers to be very careful when crafting cannabis laws and strongly discouraged allowing the emergence of a for-profit cannabis industry.
These concerns are not unique to the U.S.. At Getting it Right from the Start, we have long argued that legalization and public health protections are not competing goals. In fact, they should go hand in hand.
The experiences emerging from the United States—and increasingly being examined by policymakers abroad—underscore a simple but important reality: Legalization alone shouldn’t be the goal. The goal should be getting legalization (if that’s what they do) right from the start.
Read: https://bit.ly/4nTTeeO
*****na ITV News Public Health Institute
04/17/2026
New study in JAMA Network Open, led by Kaiser Permanente and co-authored by our team at Public Health Institute, looks at how adolescent cannabis use has changed over time in California.
Using data from more than 1.3 million teen screenings, the study found:
• Use increased after legalization—even before retail sales began
• Use declined during COVID-19
• By 2024, rates returned to pre-legalization levels
As lead author Dr. Kelly Young-Wolff of Kaiser Permanente noted, the increase following legalization suggests that changes in social norms and perceptions—alongside access—may play an important role in shaping adolescent behavior.
Grateful to Kaiser Permanente for their leadership on this important research.
Study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2847868
*****na Kaiser Permanente Public Health Institute
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