Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked doctors for their
opinions on the Liberals’ promised legalization of the recreational use
of marijuana.
He’s about to hear an earful from them.
At one of the final sessions of the annual meeting of the Canadian Medical Association in Vancouver on Wednesday, delegates aired their concerns. Among them: the fact that a psychoactive drug is being legitimized to the point where the public thinks it’s a benign substance; the fact marijuana affects brain development, not just in the young but into the 60s; that there is no solid evidence it is safe and effective as a medical treatment so using the term medical marijuana is a misnomer.
Marijuana can be prescribed for medical purposes in Canada, but it is still illegal for recreational use although numerous doctors attending the conference commented on the ubiquitous smell of cannabis every time they went outside the Westin Bayshore where the annual meeting has been held. As one doctor noted, “It’s ironic we’re having a convention here in Vancouver — the cannabis capital of Canada — where there’s already a plethora of marijuana storefronts.”
Jeff Blackmer, the CMA vice-president of professional affairs, said after the feds announced plans to legalize marijuana, the CMA was asked to collect the views of the profession, so an electronic poll was recently done, eliciting nearly 800 responses. Poll findings include:
• Doctors think it’s a bad idea to have marijuana sold in pharmacies and they want the federal government to ensure the quantity of THC is labelled and even regulated.
• Sixty-five per cent of doctors disagree with mail service being used to distribute non medical marijuana, and 57 per cent disagree with pharmacies being used for distribution. Fifty-six per cent think existing non-health care structures like liquor stores should sell it and 47 per cent think legal storefronts (dispensaries) are suitable for the purpose.
• Doctors are equally split on whether people should be allowed to grow their own non-medical marijuana.
• Asked where people should be allowed to consume non-medical marijuana, 80 per cent said their homes, 36 per cent said designated public places and 43 per cent said wherever tobacco is permitted.
• Forty-five per cent of doctors said Canadians over the age of 21 should be able to buy legal marijuana and 35 per cent said the age should be 18 or 19.
• Seventy-two per cent said government should regulate THC levels in non-medical marijuana.
Dr. Barb Blumenauer of Kamloops said children have required intensive care unit admissions, and mechanical breathing support for comas and seizures from using marijuana. She called for the establishment of a national database to measure hospitalizations.
“It is a misnomer that marijuana is a harmless substance. That is certainly not the case with children,” she said, adding that B.C. has seen pediatric poisoning cases, seizures and comas.
Ottawa obstetrician/gynecologist Jennifer Blake said she can’t recall another drug that has been licensed and legalized with “such little evidence.” She said when the CMA makes its submission to the federal government it should stress the need for quality research and long-term post-market monitoring.
Dr.
Larry Barzelai, a family doctor in Vancouver, said at least once a week
he gets requests from patients to give them exemptions so they
can buy medical marijuana but “I don’t have any guidelines” from bodies
like the CMA.He’s about to hear an earful from them.
At one of the final sessions of the annual meeting of the Canadian Medical Association in Vancouver on Wednesday, delegates aired their concerns. Among them: the fact that a psychoactive drug is being legitimized to the point where the public thinks it’s a benign substance; the fact marijuana affects brain development, not just in the young but into the 60s; that there is no solid evidence it is safe and effective as a medical treatment so using the term medical marijuana is a misnomer.
Marijuana can be prescribed for medical purposes in Canada, but it is still illegal for recreational use although numerous doctors attending the conference commented on the ubiquitous smell of cannabis every time they went outside the Westin Bayshore where the annual meeting has been held. As one doctor noted, “It’s ironic we’re having a convention here in Vancouver — the cannabis capital of Canada — where there’s already a plethora of marijuana storefronts.”
Jeff Blackmer, the CMA vice-president of professional affairs, said after the feds announced plans to legalize marijuana, the CMA was asked to collect the views of the profession, so an electronic poll was recently done, eliciting nearly 800 responses. Poll findings include:
• Doctors think it’s a bad idea to have marijuana sold in pharmacies and they want the federal government to ensure the quantity of THC is labelled and even regulated.
• Sixty-five per cent of doctors disagree with mail service being used to distribute non medical marijuana, and 57 per cent disagree with pharmacies being used for distribution. Fifty-six per cent think existing non-health care structures like liquor stores should sell it and 47 per cent think legal storefronts (dispensaries) are suitable for the purpose.
• Doctors are equally split on whether people should be allowed to grow their own non-medical marijuana.
• Asked where people should be allowed to consume non-medical marijuana, 80 per cent said their homes, 36 per cent said designated public places and 43 per cent said wherever tobacco is permitted.
• Forty-five per cent of doctors said Canadians over the age of 21 should be able to buy legal marijuana and 35 per cent said the age should be 18 or 19.
• Seventy-two per cent said government should regulate THC levels in non-medical marijuana.
Dr. Barb Blumenauer of Kamloops said children have required intensive care unit admissions, and mechanical breathing support for comas and seizures from using marijuana. She called for the establishment of a national database to measure hospitalizations.
“It is a misnomer that marijuana is a harmless substance. That is certainly not the case with children,” she said, adding that B.C. has seen pediatric poisoning cases, seizures and comas.
Ottawa obstetrician/gynecologist Jennifer Blake said she can’t recall another drug that has been licensed and legalized with “such little evidence.” She said when the CMA makes its submission to the federal government it should stress the need for quality research and long-term post-market monitoring.
A palliative care physician from New Brunswick said the discussion gave her the distinct impression that doctors aren’t happy about the Liberals’ plans and don’t like where it’s all going. “Unfortunately, our patients do.”
A psychiatrist said the CMA should propose the government restricts marijuana to those 25 and older because so many teenagers use fake identification and “it’s hard for a 25 year old to pass off as a teenager.”
Doctors said while marijuana can cause anxiety and paranoia, addiction, decreased cognition, behavioural problems and impaired driving, the fact that the government has promised to legalize it means they can only try to persuade the government to anticipate the effects on current and future health system costs, to protect public safety and ensure there is surveillance.
Vancouver Dr. Janice Wong said: “If you are stoned, you are at high risk of making poor decisions.” She wants to make sure the federal government knows it can expect increased public health costs and impaired driving cases.
Doctors were divided on whether people should be allowed to grow their own marijuana for recreational use. Eighty per cent believed people should be able to consume marijuana in their own homes but a majority felt recreational use should not be permitted in designated public places.
The CMA will now work with its staff and board members to prepare a submission to the federal government.
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