By Louis Pin,
Public health is pushing cannabis
risk messages in St. Thomas and Elgin County, even as national
legalization drags further into summer than originally anticipated.
Southwestern Public Health's focus is now on youth, and how regular use of cannabis is more dangerous for teens than adults.
"We spend a lot of time talking about brain development," said Jacky
Allan, a registered nurse with Southwestern Public Health. "Young people
are a lot more vulnerable to cannabis because of that."
On Tuesday the Senate passed a number of amendments to Bill C-45, the
Cannabis Act. Notable among the amendments was a law against sharing
cannabis with a minor. In the current bill, sharing more than five grams
of cannabis with a minor will be an indictable offence.
The Senate is expected to vote on the final, amended bill Thursday. An exact date for legalization is still to be determined.
"We haven't heard anything about a date," Allan said. "I think everyone is paying attention for when that will be."
Public health is also monitoring risks include long-term problems
like cannabis dependency, as well as short-term problems like impaired
driving, something local police warn is already causing their calls to
increase.
Part of Southwestern Public Health's goal is to de-normalize the use of cannabis.
There they have an advantage. Unlike nicotine in cigarettes,
consumption of cannabis has been illegal for decades and only recently
has become more readily accepted by the Canadian public.
Allan said she and other public health officials will continue to
monitor cannabis and youth consumption over the next months, especially
after school returns in September.
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