Canadian Study Ranks Cannabis Less Harmful Than Alcohol, Tobacco

A new Canadian analysis has found that cannabis poses significantly less harm to users than alcohol and tobacco, adding to decades of research that consistently places marijuana lower on substance risk assessments.

The study, conducted by Canadian researchers, evaluated substances based on harm to users and society—a methodology that has been used in similar analyses by public health agencies worldwide. While the specific metrics weren't detailed in initial reports, such studies typically examine factors including addiction potential, physical health impacts, and social costs.

The Context

The findings aren't surprising to public health experts or cannabis policy advocates. David Nutt, a British neuropsychopharmacologist, published similar findings in The Lancet in 2010, ranking alcohol as the most harmful drug overall when considering both individual and societal harm. Cannabis ranked eighth in that analysis.

Yet federal policy in both the U.S. and Canada has historically treated cannabis more severely than alcohol or tobacco. Cannabis remains a Schedule I substance under U.S. federal law—the same category as heroin—despite 38 states legalizing medical use and 24 states allowing adult recreational consumption.

The disconnect between scientific evidence and policy has fueled ongoing debates about drug scheduling reform. The DEA is currently reviewing a recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services to rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III, which would acknowledge its accepted medical use.

The Numbers Tell a Story

Alcohol contributes to approximately 140,000 deaths annually in the United States, according to the CDC. Tobacco kills nearly 480,000 Americans each year. Meanwhile, the CDC does not attribute any deaths directly to cannabis overdose, though marijuana use can have negative health effects and impaired driving risks.

The economic costs mirror these health disparities. Alcohol misuse costs the U.S. economy $249 billion annually, while smoking-related illness costs more than $300 billion per year. The cannabis industry, by contrast, generated $27.5 billion in legal sales in 2023 and contributed billions in tax revenue to state coffers.

Policy Implications

Canada legalized adult-use cannabis nationwide in 2018, making it the second country after Uruguay to do so. Five years into legalization, Canadian policymakers have been studying outcomes—including youth access, impaired driving, and public health impacts.

Early data from Canada shows mixed results. Youth cannabis use has remained relatively stable or declined in some provinces, contradicting fears that legalization would spike teen consumption. But concerns about impaired driving and workplace safety persist.

Some U.S. lawmakers have cited Canada's experience as they push for federal legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has repeatedly called for descheduling cannabis entirely, arguing that federal prohibition creates more harm than the substance itself.

What This Means for the Industry

For cannabis businesses operating in legal markets, comparative harm studies provide ammunition for advocacy and normalization efforts. Industry groups regularly cite such research when lobbying for banking access, tax reform, and interstate commerce.

But the science hasn't yet translated into federal policy changes. The SAFE Banking Act, which would allow cannabis businesses to access traditional financial services, has stalled in Congress despite bipartisan support. Cannabis companies still face the 280E tax code provision that prohibits them from deducting normal business expenses.

The Canadian analysis arrives as U.S. regulators weigh the HHS recommendation to reschedule cannabis. If the DEA follows through, it would mark the first time federal authorities have officially acknowledged that cannabis has less abuse potential than currently scheduled—though it would still maintain that marijuana is more dangerous than prescription medications in Schedule III like ketamine and anabolic steroids.

The study's publication in Canada, where national legalization has been in effect for over five years, may carry particular weight as U.S. policymakers evaluate their northern neighbor's experience with cannabis reform.

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This article is based on original reporting by hightimes.com.