Importance: A year after dried cannabis was legalized across Canada in October 2018, Canadian provinces except Quebec legalized sales of cannabis edibles and extracts, including youth-friendly edibles such as cannabis chocolates, candies, and desserts and cannabis vaping products. Little is known about the association of this legalization with adolescent cannabis use.

Question: What is the association of legalizing youth-friendly cannabis edibles and extracts with overall cannabis use prevalence, modes of cannabis use, and harm perceptions among adolescents in Canada?

Findings: In this cross-sectional study of 106 032 adolescents, cannabis legalization was associated with a 26% increase in the overall prevalence of cannabis use, a 43% increase in edible cannabis use, a 34% increase in cannabis smoking, and a 28% increase in co-use of alcohol and cannabis. The legalization was also associated with lower perception of cannabis harms.

Meaning: The increase in adolescents’ cannabis use associated with the legalization highlights the need for stricter policy measures to curb adolescents’ access to cannabis edibles and extracts and greater awareness among adolescents about harms of cannabis use.