How Does Cannabis Legalization Affect Organized Crime? New Research Sheds Light
The five years after Canada legalized recreational cannabis have produced enough data for researchers to look at important questions like how organized crime is affected by legalization, or not.
A recent study, published in Sociological Inquiry, explores how the shift to a legal market has reshaped criminal enterprises once heavily involved in the illicit cannabis trade.
Key Findings On Organized Crime & Cannabis
The research, conducted by scientists Martin Bouchard, Naomi Zakimi -of Simon Fraser University-, and Benoît Gomis -of the University of Toronto– shows that the legal cannabis market now dominates in Canada, accounting for over 71% of household expenditures on cannabis as of 2023. However, nearly 29% of the market still belongs to unlicensed sellers.
Some of the study’s most notable findings include:
A Shrinking Illicit Market: Legal cannabis sales have steadily increased since legalization, gradually cutting into the black market.
Organized Crime’s Resilience: Criminal organizations are adapting, either by diverting legal cannabis into the unlicensed market or shifting their operations to illegal drugs.
Consumer Challenges: High …