With legalization upon us, separating cannabis fact from cannabis fiction can be difficult.
Despite concerns held by many about the Devil’s Lettuce, it is perhaps unsurprising that the majority of U of T students see marijuana use as normal behaviour.
In a 2010 survey of UTSG students, 76.7 per cent of students thought that the typical U of T student had used marijuana in the past 30 days. Although only 13.5 per cent of students had reportedly used marijuana in that timeframe, the implication that marijuana use was already socially acceptable eight years ago is apparent.
While that social acceptance has clearly translated into governmental action in the time since, like all science turned political, there is a concerning amount of false information circulating in the public sphere.
What are these myths and misconceptions and what can someone cautiously curious about weed do to avoid catastrophe? It’s best to begin by defining terms.
What is the proper name for the psychoactive substance being legalized on October 17?
One may have noted the use of five different names for the contentious plant in the preceding paragraphs. While terms range from the familiar, like ‘ganja,’ to the bizarre, like ‘jazz cabbage,’ there is a wide variety of nomenclature to pick from.
While ‘weed’ or ‘marijuana’ might be more common parlance, the most accurate term to use is ‘cannabis.’ ‘Cannabis’ is what is used and defined in the federal government’s Cannabis Act, which comes into effect on October 17. Accordingly, Health Canada has also declared this to be the preferred term, noting that “the term cannabis includes more products than marijuana.”
Let’s proceed to the myth-busting.
Myth 1: Cannabis is harmless.
While cannabis may seem innocuous compared to the fast killers behind the opioid crisis, it is far from a harmless leaf.
Harold Kalant, Professor Emeritus in U of T’s Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, says those most at risk from cannabis use are young people whose brains are still developing.
“[They] risk impairment of maturation of ‘executive functions,’ i.e., working memory, learning, problem solving, judgment, etc. The degree of risk depends on the age at which marijuana use began. The earlier use began, and the longer and more intensely it continued throughout adolescence and into early adult years, the greater is the risk of permanent decrease in those mental functions,” he writes.
As it is, adolescents and young adults make up roughly half of all cannabis users in Canada. Ruth Ross, a professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, believes that legalization will only cause this number to grow. “It’s concerning that the US National Survey data indicate that cannabis legalization in Colorado resulted in significant increases in use by all age groups, including young adults.”
But all that shouldn’t be a problem if cannabis is used by people past age 25, right?
Myth 2: Cannabis is harmless past age 25.
Despite this being a common belief in some circles, Ross emphasizes that the risks are very real at any age. Although older adults may escape the developmental risks posed to the young, anyone who partakes in cannabis is at risk of developing an acute psychosis, or even a long-term mental health disorder.
The risk is greater to those with a genetic vulnerability to mental illness. Kalant notes that risks also include “chronic cough and chest congestion, memory impairment, poor work performance, [and] motor vehicle and other accidents.”
Having thoroughly precluded any notion of chain-smoking blunts, the questions now fall on the adorable cannabis-laced gummy bears and other delights that will soon be hitting shelves. What harm could there possibly be in a pot brownie?
Myth 3: Cannabis edibles are harmless.
While it is now public knowledge that smoking of any kind is carcinogenic, the harm inherent to a cannabis-laced snack is much more insidious and a danger to the inexperienced, in particular.
Bernard Le Foll, a professor and Head of Translational Addiction Research Laboratory in the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, notes that “edibles can be risky to use due to the difficulty of controlling dosage.” Due to their inherent irregularity, edibles may contain more cannabis than they claim.
Additionally, Ross says that the effects of marijuana may vary based on the form it is ingested in.
“Unlike smoking cannabis, there is a time delay between ingesting the edible and the effect. There is a risk that people may think that the drug has not had any effect and continue to ingest more and more,” Ross writes. “People may set off to drive – not realizing that they will soon become very intoxicated as the edible takes effect.”
The key is to obey cannabis-themed variations on familiar adages like ‘don’t drink and drive’ or ‘beware the vodka gummies.’
Yet it seems that every day, there is some article or another extolling the virtues of red wine or calling whiskey the elixir of life. Are the same possible health benefits true of cannabis?
Myth 4–419: Cannabis cures depression, cannabis makes you more creative, cannabis cures alcoholism, cannabis makes you more careful, cannabis cures drug addiction, cannabis generally improves health, et cetera, et cetera.
In response to all of the above, Kalant is succinct: “All of those are simply false.”
While it is true that medical marijuana has lifted hundreds of people out of debilitation, it is important to remember that medical marijuana treatments are the results of exhaustive study, and only alleviate with certainty a relatively small number of afflictions.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol, the two main components of cannabis, have only been shown to help relieve symptoms of multiple sclerosis, nausea, and certain forms of epilepsy.
“All other claims of therapeutic effectiveness… are not based on any solid clinical data,” Ross writes. “Many of the claims made about cannabis are totally [unsubstantiated] by research; they are what we would call ‘anecdotal’. In fact, cannabis may make these conditions worse.”
This begs one big question: if cannabis is really so terrible, who stands to gain?
Like with many questions, the answer lies in following the money.
Myth 420: Cannabis is counterculture.
Like all things banned, there are certain connotations surrounding cannabis use.
For decades, implicit in each edible or joint has been the knowledge that what was being done was opposing the mainstream culture associated with tradition and big business.
Yet legalisation is ultimately an economic decision and cannabis is now a business. Like with all businesses, consumers must be aware that they are being targeted for consumption.
“There is increasing evidence that the ‘for profit’, billion-dollar revenue generation model of cannabis legalization in Canada will lead to promotion of products that are aimed at increasing cannabis use to maximize profits,” Ross writes. “Marketing and new products specifically targeted at young adults will start to appear in the coming weeks [or] months. Some of these products have pretty high levels of THC and may also include a mix of alcohol and cannabis – we have virtually no data on the possible short and long terms effects of this combination.”
So what is to be done?
There are potential benefits to legalization. In particular, Ross notes that the standardization of cannabis products will guarantee that they are free of any additional harmful components that could be included in illicit products.
What is critical is that potential cannabis users be prepared to educate themselves fully on the risks.
“Users should be cautious,” Le Foll says. “If they want to try cannabis, [they] should do it at low doses… in a safe environment. Being aware of the risks is critical.”
To this end, Le Foll recommends the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse’s Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines.
When it comes to parents educating children, Kalant recommends the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction’s Talking Pot with Youth: A Cannabis Communication Guide for Youth Allies.
“Adults should be prepared to talk factually to youngsters, don’t lecture at them, but get to know the facts and be prepared to call a spade a spade.”
