Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 6 5 2017 05 01 The Challenges of Projecting the Public Health Impacts of Marijuana Legalization in Canada; Comment on “Legalizing and Regulating Marijuana in Canada: Review of Potential Economic, Social, and Health Impacts” 285 287 3271 10.15171/ijhpm.2016.124 EN Stephanie Lake British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada Thomas Kerr British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada Journal Article 2016 08 16 A recent editorial in this journal provides a summary of key economic, social, and public health considerations of the forthcoming legislation to legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana in Canada. As our government plans to implement an evidence-based public health framework for marijuana legalization, we reflect and expand on recent discussions of the public health implications of marijuana legalization, and offer additional points of consideration. We select two commonly cited public concerns of marijuana legalization – adolescent usage and impaired driving – and discuss how the underdeveloped and equivocal body of scientific literature surrounding these issues limits the ability to predict the effects of legalization. Finally, we discuss the potential for some potential public health benefits of marijuana legalization – specifically the potential for marijuana to be used as a substitute to opioids and other risky substance use – that have to date not received adequate attention. https://www.ijhpm.com/article_3271_bfbb56bee68d99affaa64f189045d5f2.pdf