Convergence and Divergence of Alcohol and Marijuana Regulation in a Federalist System

Marijuana prohibition ended in Canada in 2018 when marijuana was legalized at the federal level. Marijuana prohibition in the United States has de factor ended in a large percentage of states as marijuana has been legalized at the state level (even while it remains illegal under federal law). Alcohol prohibition ended in 1933 in the U.S. with the ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment. In each case, regulation was effectively left to sub-national units (states in the U.S. and provinces and territories in Canada). Regulation of alcohol in the U.S. and marijuana in Canada show divergence across sub-national units. Marijuana regulation across U.S. states, on the other hand, shows signs of convergence. This article argues the difference can be explained by a combination of interest group politics, path dependence, and, most importantly, a temporal effect