Michael J Armstrong
@profmjarmstrong
Operations research professor, Brock University. I teach quality improvement & game theory. I research business aspects of legal cannabis. Previously studied missile warfare.
Impairment by drugs alone fell 1.5%. Impairment by drugs & alcohol together, or by unspecified substances, similarly declined. 💊💉🌿
Impairment by alcohol alone fell 2.9%. This category represented 80% of all cases. 🍺🍷🍸
Impaired driving rates in Canada fell 2.6% last year. This continues a long-term trend that was interrupted in late 2018 when Canada toughened its impairment laws & legalized cannabis. 🚨👮 #EpiSky
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau Trade Data apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/Express...
US exports of spirits to Canada in May 2026 were 62% below their 2023-2024 average. 🍸💲
US exports of wines to Canada in May 2026 were 83% below their 2023-2024 average. 🍷💲 #EconSky
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian international merchandise trade report www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/t...
Imports into Canada from the USA of alcoholic beverages grew rapidly during 2003-2015, stabilized during 2016-2024, but plunged 68% in 2025. They are now below 2004 levels. 💲🍷🍸
Death rates per weapon have not declined week-to-week. The “quality” of Iran’s attacks has not been degraded by US-Israeli airstrikes. (The recent E3 AWACS destruction on the ground by a ballistic missile is further proof of that.) 5/5
Death rates per weapon are highest in Israel. It faces the biggest missiles with the most explosives. The rate is lower than in its 2025 Iran war, but higher than in its Gaza conflicts against smaller rockets. 4/5
90% of Iran’s munitions targeted Arab countries. UAE reported 1835 drones, 378 ballistic missiles, & 15 cruise missiles. Kuwait reported nearly 600 drones & 300 missiles. 3/5
Israel reported 450+ incoming ballistic missiles; 40+ hit populated areas. Some had unitary warheads with hundreds of kg of explosives. Most instead dispensed dozens of cluster bombs. 2/5
FWIW @bretdevereaux.bsky.social, here are my online reader stats from @ca.theconversation.com. Between 27 Jun 2017 & 27 Feb 2026, my 61 articles there collectively drew 1.04 million page views. 39% from Canada, 29% from the USA, & 32% from elsewhere. The most-read article has 126,000 views.
Canada's alcoholic beverage retail sales totaled $25.7 billion in 2025, down 0.5% from 2024. Adjusting for rising prices implies product volumes fell 2.0%. 2/2 🍺💲
During 2009-2018, impaired driving rates reported by police declined. But in 2019, they jumped before declining again. So, impairment during 2019-2023 averaged 31% above the 2009-2018 trend. 2/7
Data source: Statistics Canada counts of returning Canadian travelers. www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-60...
By contrast, 8% more Canadians are flying overseas in 2025. It seems that about 70% of those who would normally fly to the USA flew overseas instead.
3. Across NSLC stores that sold only alcohol, total monthly sales averaged roughly $800K ⬇️ lower than before legalization. But across those that began selling cannabis, monthly alcohol sales instead totaled $300K ⬆️ higher! Differences were bigger for 🍺 beers & coolers than 🍷 wines or spirits.
2. After legalization, total NSLC monthly alcohol sales quickly dropped & then slowly recovered. From Oct 2018 to Feb 2020, they averaged about $500K (1.2%) ⬇️ below pre-legalization levels.
Consumers smoked dried cannabis less & ate edibles more. This product switch seemed related to declining prices, not expanding stores. Edibles’ use grew less in Quebec; it banned most of those products. 5/6
The average age of 1st-time consumers rose slightly as more older adults tried cannabis. This was the only trend that seemed related to both falling prices & expanding stores. 4/6
The percentage using cannabis also rose among Canadians aged 25+ but not among those aged 16-24. The older adult’s gain seemed related to falling prices, not expanding stores. 3/6
The percentage of Canadians using cannabis rose slightly among women but not among men. My analysis indicated the women’s gain seemed related to falling prices, but not to expanding store availability. 2/6
Monthly beer producer sales (in product liters per capita) during 12 months before & 12 months after showed no significant change. They continued their downward trend. Sales did decrease in 2017 & increase in 2020.
Monthly total retail sales (in Canadian $) during 12 months before legalization & 12 months after showed no significant change. Sales did jump after COVID-19 arrived in Mar 2020.
Annual total sales (in ethanol liters per capita) during 2004-2022 showed no meaningful change. But as was known in industry, Canadians gradually switched from beers to other alcoholic drinks like coolers & ciders.
The mean size of patients' cannabis purchases remained stable after the law passed & after stores opened. But it began rising steadily when edibles arrived.
Among registered patients, purchase frequencies had been decreasing. That didn't change when the law passed but accelerated slightly after legal stores opened. Purchase frequencies stabilized after edibles became available.
Patient registrations slowed after the law passed in Jun 2018. The province with the highest rate, Alberta, saw it plummet. Provinces with low rates saw them keep rising. Registrations didn't change when legal sales began in Oct 2018, but fell more after edibles became legal in Dec 2019.