The pace at which cannabis legalization has occurred in the last five years is staggering. In that time, numerous US states have legalized recreational and medical cannabis and several countries, including Canada, have legalized it federally. In the span of under two years cannabis has gone from being a criminally prohibited substance to being considered an essential service during the COVID-19 epidemic. In addition, legalization has opened up a number of avenues for a realistic exploration of the medical benefits and risk as well as the societal impacts of this drug post legalization.