Pubdate: Wed, 14 Dec 2016
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2016 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Carly Weeks
Page: A9
Referenced: http://mapinc.org/url/spC7LQBu

LEGAL AGE FOR CANNABIS SALES EMERGES AS CONTENTIOUS ISSUE

We based [ our recommendation] on available medical and scientific
literature and the concerns we had. Jeff Blackmer VP of medical
professionalism at the Canadian Medical Association

Members of Canada's medical community are disappointed over a federal
task force's recommendation to allow cannabis sales to those 18 and
over, with some warning unrestricted access could have a detrimental
impact on developing brains.

As the government moves toward legalization, it also faces the
enormous challenge of combatting the widely held mistaken belief that
marijuana is harmless, according to a number of medical organizations
and substance use experts.

The task force released its report Tuesday on what cannabis
legalization and regulation may look in Canada, including a number of
measures to restrict access to minors, such as a ban on advertisements
and sponsorships and the use of plain packaging devoid of brand
colours or logos.

But one of the most contentious recommendations is around the legal
age. The report suggests setting the purchase age at 18, but
acknowledges that provinces may wish to harmonize it with the legal
alcohol age, which is 19 in some parts of the country.

A 2013 Unicef report found that Canadian youth are the highest users
of cannabis compared with other developed nations and the government
said it hopes the move toward legalization can help bring those rates
down.

The Canadian Medical Association had recommended a legal age of 21
because of evidence cannabis can cause changes to the brain and may
pose a serious health risk to young people.

The task force said an older age limit could help fuel illicit sales
of cannabis, particularly considering that young people between 18 and
24 tend to be some of the highest consumers of marijuana.

But Jeff Blackmer, vice-president of medical professionalism at the
Canadian Medical Association, said they took those concerns into
account when recommending a legal purchase age of 21.

Since the brain develops until about age 25, the CMA saw its
recommendation as a compromise that could help shield young people
from the harmful effects, Dr. Blackmer said. "We based [ our
recommendation] on available medical and scientific literature and the
concerns we had."

Dr. Blackmer added that the association will likely continue to talk
to Parliament about the age restriction as the legalization process
moves forward.

The Canadian Paediatric Society also expressed concern that no limits
will be put in place to limit the concentration of
tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC) in cannabis products available to 18- to
25-year-olds. The society published a position statement last month
calling for the limits because of mounting evidence of the effects of
marijuana on the developing brain.

"I think it's fair to say we're disappointed," said Christina Grant,
associate professor of pediatrics at McMaster University in Hamilton
and lead author of the position statement.

Alistair Bursey, chair of the Canadian Pharmacists Association's board
of directors, said it also advocated for 21 to be the legal age for
purchase. But he acknowledged that setting it too high could fuel the
illicit market.

Regardless of the legal age, the consensus among medical experts is
that the federal government must adopt a strong public education and
awareness campaign to counter the myth that marijuana is safe.

The task force made several recommendations about public education and
it's imperative for those measures to be taken seriously, Dr. Blackmer
said.

"I don't think there's any Canadian … who smokes cigarettes who thinks
it's good for them," he said. "We've not done nearly as good a job
educating people, particularly young people, about some of the
potential dangers of marijuana use."

One of the clearest pieces of evidence that cannabis can cause lasting
damage to the brain came in a 2012 New Zealand study that followed
cannabis users over several decades. Researchers found regular users
had more cognitive problems than those who abstained, even after
taking education levels into account. Those who began using cannabis
during adolescence had the biggest cognitive declines. Research also
shows young people who use marijuana may be susceptible to psychosis,
although there are questions about whether those risks are confined to
people genetically predisposed to psychosis.

"The developing brain is a vulnerable brain," said Anthony Feinstein,
professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto who studies
multiple sclerosis and how cannabis impacts cognition. "That's where
there is a potential problem."
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