Review of Canada’s Cannabis Legalization Identifies Several Flaws
In October 2018, Canada became the first G7 nation to legalize recreational cannabis, and a federal review of how it’s gone so far shows what other countries may encounter if they do the same.
The push for legalization of other substances, such as psychedelics, has also begun in Canada—the pros and cons of which are likely to be viewed in light of our experience with cannabis, says addictions expert Michael DeVillaer.
“We failed to heed the lessons from alcohol [and] tobacco. … There is a very real danger that we will also fail to learn the lessons from cannabis,” Mr. DeVillaer, a health sciences professor at McMaster University, told The Epoch Times.
One of the proposed amendments to the Cannabis Act would remove the requirement that companies report annually to the government on their promotional activities. Another would allow for some markings on packaging, such as QR codes, leading to information that complies with Health Canada regulations.
The panel said these and other amendments could be made without sacrificing health and safety. The panel noted that boosting licensed cannabis companies, many of which are struggling, would help push out the black market.
Industry advocates have said their products are safe compared to those on the black market, so benefiting the industry ultimately benefits safety. Industry leaders were happy about some of the panel’s recommendations, but not others.
She criticized, for example, the panel’s recommendation to maintain a limit on the potency of cannabis products. She argued that customers go to the black market for higher potency. The panel maintained, however, that potency should not be increased due to safety concerns.
“Use of high-potency products are associated with the development of schizophrenia or psychosis,” it said, while they increase the likelihood of addiction.
Mr. DeVillaer said having licensed, legal producers shouldn’t be a presumed solution to public safety issues. He said licensed companies have often been found in violation of regulations, posing safety concerns as well.
He said the panel should have considered the possibility that reversing legalization is best for public safety, but that it started instead from the standpoint of only improving legalization.
The legalization of recreational cannabis is still relatively rare in the world.
What the Panel Said
It said most companies have adhered to limits on promotion, packaging, and claims about health and other benefits. It did note, however, that enforcement is limited, in part due to strained law enforcement resources. It recommended Health Canada and other government agencies step up enforcement.
The panel’s first recommendation was for the government to allocate sufficient funding to “address emerging public health and public safety issues.” Its second one was to reduce youth and young-adult cannabis harms.
The Epoch Times asked Health Canada about plans to implement the panel’s recommendations. “Health Canada is carefully reviewing and analyzing the report and its recommendations,” the agency said in an emailed statement.
The panel suggested increased funding for such school education programs on cannabis harms, and recommended educating consumers on how to store cannabis out of the reach of children.
Mr. DeVillaer called these “demand-side interventions,” as they put the onus on consumers rather than on industry to maintain safety. Industry interventions would be “supply-side interventions.”
He was disappointed in the number of demand-side interventions. For example, he said, the panel should have recommended a ban on cannabis products in the form of candy to prevent child poisonings, rather than educating consumers on how to keep them away from children.
“As suggested by health authorities at the time of legalization, edibles in the form of confections should not be allowed,” he said.
In addition to child poisonings, senior visits to the ER due to cannabis have spiked after legalization, according to a report published in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine in May. The authors linked this to edibles, but could not say for certain what factors caused the poisonings—for example, whether it was due to accidental ingestion (mistaking the products for normal candy) or due to underestimating the potency of the products.
The panel review suggested higher excise taxes on higher-potency products as a deterrent. But it also recommended lower excise taxes overall, saying the current rate was set when cannabis prices were higher.
The government expected a gram of cannabis to sell for $10 in 2018, so taxed it at $1 per gram. Now, products are priced as low as $3.50 a gram, and producers are still paying $1 per gram.
The lower retail price could lead to even more people using cannabis, the panel said.
“We worry that lower retail prices will likely contribute to increased consumption of cannabis and elevate the risk of cannabis-related harms (for example, addiction, psychosis, depression, anxiety),” it said.
Other issues it raised include problems in indigenous communities and financial incentives paid to doctors to prescribe cannabis products.
“We heard that some health care professionals authorizing cannabis for medical purposes accept financial incentives from industry, a practice that would be considered unacceptable in the context of prescription medications,” the board said.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.