The Government of Canada may have removed the legal impediments to
enjoying recreational cannabis, but don’t say they didn’t warn you.
Much like cigarettes and other tobacco products, cannabis products sold in Canada will come packaged with one of several possible warning messages, as Health Canada does its best to educate the public about the potential risks of cannabis use. Let’s take a quick look at what Canada is saying to the canna-curious.
This first batch of messages, for dried cannabis, includes warnings about marijuana use while pregnant, adolescent, breastfeeding, or driving. Expect to see one of these messages on any dried cannabis products you purchase.
WARNING: Cannabis smoke is harmful. Harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke are also found in cannabis smoke.
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Using cannabis during pregnancy may harm your baby and result in low birth weight.
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Substances found in cannabis are also found in the breast milk of mothers who use cannabis.
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. More than 4,000 Canadians were injured and 75 died from driving after using cannabis (in 2012).
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. After cannabis use, coordination, reaction time and ability to judge distances are impaired.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to half of people who use cannabis on a daily basis have work, social or health problems from using cannabis.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. 1 in 11 people who use cannabis will become addicted.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to 1 in 2 people who use cannabis daily will become addicted.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can lower the age of onset of schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Young people are especially at risk.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Early and regular use increases the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Using cannabis as a teenager can increase your risk of becoming addicted.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. 1 in 6 people who start using cannabis in adolescence will become addicted.
On social media, some balked at the connection between cannabis and psychosis and schizophrenia, but here it’s important to pay close attention to the wording used on the warning. Canada is not saying that cannabis causes schizophrenia — they can’t, as that has not been proven.
It has been linked to schizophrenia, however, albeit mostly among very heavy cannabis users and those with a family history of psychosis. Elsewhere on Canada.ca, Health Canada provides a more nuanced explanation.
“Although the exact underlying mechanism is still largely unknown, there is strong evidence that using cannabis may increase the risk of an individual developing psychosis and schizophrenia,” Health Canada explains, before adding that there are certain risk factors to consider: age, frequency of use, potency, and one’s family history.
Health Canada adds, “the prevalence of schizophrenia has not increased with increased prevalence of cannabis use.” If there was a straight causal relationship, one would imagine we would see an increase in the prevalence of schizophrenia as cannabis use becomes more mainstream, but that does not appear to be the case.
A second collection of messages is similar, but applies to all other cannabis products:
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Using cannabis during pregnancy may harm your baby and result in low birth weight.
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Substances found in cannabis are also found in the breast milk of mothers who use cannabis.
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. More than 4,000 Canadians were injured and 75 died from driving after using cannabis (in 2012).
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. After cannabis use, coordination, reaction time and ability to judge distances are impaired.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to half of people who use cannabis on a daily basis have work, social or health problems from using cannabis.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. 1 in 11 people who use cannabis will become addicted.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to 1 in 2 people who use cannabis daily will become addicted.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can lower the age of onset of schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Young people are especially at risk.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Early and regular use increases the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Using cannabis as a teenager can increase your risk of becoming addicted.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. 1 in 6 people who start using cannabis in adolescence will become addicted.
It’s a very comprehensive list of warnings, although I don’t see anything about how cannabis use makes you snacky. Prepare your snacks in advance. Consider yourself warned.
Much like cigarettes and other tobacco products, cannabis products sold in Canada will come packaged with one of several possible warning messages, as Health Canada does its best to educate the public about the potential risks of cannabis use. Let’s take a quick look at what Canada is saying to the canna-curious.
This first batch of messages, for dried cannabis, includes warnings about marijuana use while pregnant, adolescent, breastfeeding, or driving. Expect to see one of these messages on any dried cannabis products you purchase.
WARNING: Cannabis smoke is harmful. Harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke are also found in cannabis smoke.
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Using cannabis during pregnancy may harm your baby and result in low birth weight.
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Substances found in cannabis are also found in the breast milk of mothers who use cannabis.
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. More than 4,000 Canadians were injured and 75 died from driving after using cannabis (in 2012).
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. After cannabis use, coordination, reaction time and ability to judge distances are impaired.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to half of people who use cannabis on a daily basis have work, social or health problems from using cannabis.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. 1 in 11 people who use cannabis will become addicted.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to 1 in 2 people who use cannabis daily will become addicted.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can lower the age of onset of schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Young people are especially at risk.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Early and regular use increases the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Using cannabis as a teenager can increase your risk of becoming addicted.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. 1 in 6 people who start using cannabis in adolescence will become addicted.
On social media, some balked at the connection between cannabis and psychosis and schizophrenia, but here it’s important to pay close attention to the wording used on the warning. Canada is not saying that cannabis causes schizophrenia — they can’t, as that has not been proven.
It has been linked to schizophrenia, however, albeit mostly among very heavy cannabis users and those with a family history of psychosis. Elsewhere on Canada.ca, Health Canada provides a more nuanced explanation.
“Although the exact underlying mechanism is still largely unknown, there is strong evidence that using cannabis may increase the risk of an individual developing psychosis and schizophrenia,” Health Canada explains, before adding that there are certain risk factors to consider: age, frequency of use, potency, and one’s family history.
Health Canada adds, “the prevalence of schizophrenia has not increased with increased prevalence of cannabis use.” If there was a straight causal relationship, one would imagine we would see an increase in the prevalence of schizophrenia as cannabis use becomes more mainstream, but that does not appear to be the case.
A second collection of messages is similar, but applies to all other cannabis products:
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Using cannabis during pregnancy may harm your baby and result in low birth weight.
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Substances found in cannabis are also found in the breast milk of mothers who use cannabis.
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. More than 4,000 Canadians were injured and 75 died from driving after using cannabis (in 2012).
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. After cannabis use, coordination, reaction time and ability to judge distances are impaired.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to half of people who use cannabis on a daily basis have work, social or health problems from using cannabis.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. 1 in 11 people who use cannabis will become addicted.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to 1 in 2 people who use cannabis daily will become addicted.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can lower the age of onset of schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Young people are especially at risk.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Early and regular use increases the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Using cannabis as a teenager can increase your risk of becoming addicted.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. 1 in 6 people who start using cannabis in adolescence will become addicted.
It’s a very comprehensive list of warnings, although I don’t see anything about how cannabis use makes you snacky. Prepare your snacks in advance. Consider yourself warned.
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