Medical Journal slams Cannabis Act for failing to protect youth

The Government of Canada has announced it’s on course to legalize cannabis before the end of 2018. But hold on, according to a recent editorial posted to Canada’s Medical Association Journal, the Cannabis Act (Bill C-45) fails to sufficiently protect public health and safety.

According to the editorial, written by interim editor in chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Dr. Diane Kelsall, the bottom line is that it fails to sufficiently protect young people who should not be consuming cannabis.

“Simply put, cannabis should not be used by young people,” said Kelsall. “It is toxic to their cortical neuronal networks, with both functional and structural changes seen in the brains of youth who use cannabis regularly.”

However, according to the Government, the Cannabis Act is designed to protect public health and safety - especially youth populations.

One of the major aspects of the Cannabis Act which intends to keep cannabis out of the hands of young people is amendments to Canada’s Criminal Code to include strict punishments for people caught selling the drug to people under the age of 18.

However, according to Kelsall, stricter punishments aren’t sufficient in ensuring youth are protected.

“Bill C-45 draws on the work of the federal Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation that recommended taking a public health approach to the regulation of cannabis to minimize associated harms. Yet, in the bill, the federal government has set the national minimum age for purchase of marijuana at 18 years with no limits on potency and allows for the personal cultivation of cannabis for nonmedical purposes. Failure to set national standards for distribution also opens the door to substantial variation in ease of access.”

So in addition to stricter penalties, why hasn’t the Government moved forward with setting national standards for retail distribution systems?

The reason why is that in Canada’s federal system, the provinces and territories are mandated to set their own regulations. As a result, access to cannabis will likely differ across the country and include various combinations of mail order, online sales, storefront shops, liquor stores and other modes of access.

So what does the Canadian Medical Association recommend the Government do to make sure the Act sufficiently ensures public safety?

Here’s a list of some of the key recommendations:

• Increase the minimum age of purchase and consumption of cannabis from 18 years to 21 years.
• Establish restrictions regarding cannabis quantities and potency for those under the age of 25 years.
• Place further restrictions on rules pertaining to growing cannabis plants at home. This is due to the fact that personal cultivation will increase the risk of diversion and access to cannabis that is not subject to any quality or potency controls.

The reasoning behind these recommendations is that studies have revealed higher potency in cannabis increase the risk of cannabis dependence and the development of mental illnesses - especially among young people.

“The Canadian Paediatric Society cautions that marijuana use in youth is strongly linked to ‘cannabis dependence and other substance use disorders; the initiation and maintenance of tobacco smoking; an increased presence of mental illness, including depression, anxiety and psychosis; impaired neurological development and cognitive decline; and diminished school performance and lifetime achievement.’”

In it’s current form, Kelsall is doubtful that the Cannabis Act will sufficiently ensure public health and safety as well as protect young people from developing potential mental illnesses.

“The government appears to be hastening to deliver on a campaign promise without being careful enough about the health impacts of policy,” wrote Kelsall. “It’s not good enough to say that provinces and territories can set more stringent rules if they wish. If Parliament truly cares about the public health and safety of Canadians, especially our youth, this bill will not pass.”

The editorial follows a public opinion poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute in April, which revealed 66% of respondents believed the Cannabis Act will fail in making it more difficult for people under the age 18 from using cannabis.That being said, according to the same poll, more than six-in-ten respondents (63%) also said they support the Act.

So what do you think? Should the Government take these proposed recommendations seriously and amend the Cannabis Act? Or are the provisions in the Act already sufficient in protecting youth and upholding public safety? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!