#NAAW: Cannabis legalization could lead to an increase in addiction and criminal records
The great majority of drug-related morbidity, mortality and costs to the
economy arise from our legal drugs – tobacco and alcohol. We now
also have an epidemic of opioid deaths as cannabis is about to
become the fourth government-regulated drug industry.
Ready or not, cannabis is about to be legalized across Canada. If you’re wondering what the answer to our preparedness is, we all have work to do.
The impact of legalization will be felt deeply and it will be a slow cumulative problem, according to Michael DeVillaer with the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. We still have two glaring weaknesses, criminalization and regulation.
Contraband marijuana will continue to exist after July 1, 2018, and that will lead to more people receiving crippling criminal records, the assistant professor at McMaster University said.
The second area where improvement is needed is regulation. Given that three drug industries are already under government control – alcohol, tobacco and prescription opioids – and we have three drug crises, this might be a fourth crisis in the making. During National Addictions Awareness Week, Nov. 12-18, 2017, DeVillaer is presenting on cannabis at a Calgary conference organized by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA).
DeVillaer said immediate action is needed on decriminalization because legal, recreational marijuana won’t be widely accessible even after legalization is implemented.
“In 2016, more than 17,000 Canadians received criminal records for simple possession of cannabis,” he said. “When you have a criminal record, that affects you legally, financially – it can keep you from getting a job or housing – and it even affects your mental health.”
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On the regulation front, the medical and research community have been doing their part in advocating for change, DeVillaer said. He pointed to St. Joe’s as a provider of addictions services and suggested that it will need more resources to keep up with demand.
“Alcohol is used as a recreational drug by 77 per cent of the adult market, while 13 per cent say they use cannabis,” DeVillaer said. “When a marketer sees that, they see it as an opportunity. That 77 per cent will be seen as the benchmark.”
“The federal government is being lobbied to allow cannabis advertising and the problem here is that cannabis, like alcohol and tobacco, are not bed linens. They have the potential to harm,” DeVillaer added.
The initial challenge is with the product itself. A quick visit to Health Canada’s website will show a number of product recalls related to cannabis. It’s being advertised as a safe product, but the recalls – some related to pesticide use, mildew and bacteria – suggest otherwise. More resources are needed to monitor and enforce how cannabis is cultivated.
When it comes to medicinal cannabis, DeVillaer said everyone from prescribers to researchers are concerned about the lack of “good, solid research.” There is indication that cannabis works for some people around pain management, but it doesn’t work for everyone.
“It’s not a panacea,” DeVillaer said. “Medical marijuana was legalized in 2001, but we know very little about it.”
He said research being conducted at the Peter Boris Centre will help people better understand the issue. The newly opened, Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, a collaboration between St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, will focus on conducting research, sharing evidence-based information and creating a network of professionals interested in further understanding medicinal cannabis.
Legalization is just months away and it will have a noticeable impact on the lives of Canadians. “It won’t happen in a big way immediately, it will be a slow cumulative problem,” DeVillaer said.