Legal pot leads to health concerns
As Canadians across the country celebrate legally lighting up for the first time, Niagara public health officials are bracing for the impact the recreational use of the drug could have — particularly on children and youths.
“I definitely don’t want to sound doom and gloom by any means,” said Niagara’s associate medical officer of health, Andrea Feller. “I think it’s more that we’re very cautious.”
“We are expecting, and we are prepared for a strong increase in calls that we’re going to get, asking where are people actually allowed to use this. I think it’s going to be a learning experience for all of us,” Feller said.
“We really don’t know what the reaction is going to be, although we should expect that we’re going to have a lot of people feeling surprised, regardless of how much media we do — feeling surprised to see people smoking again.”
She said cannabis smoke includes a comparable number of the chemicals in tobacco that can lead to respiratory health risks, which could be exasperated by its psychoactive properties.
Health officials are still researching additional risks associated with exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke, she added.
“We’re still learning. We’re still waiting to find out exactly what the risks are in terms of being in the presence of that smoke and breathing it in second hand.”
There is, however, evidence from areas in the United States that have legalized cannabis, leading to concerns about its impact on children.
“It’s just like anything. Our kids get into stuff if it’s normalized and it’s used in the house,” Feller said. “Their little bodies can’t handle any kind of direct ingestion.”
And even residue left behind, long after a joint has been extinguished, can be toxic.
“It’s in the dust. It’s around the house,” Feller said. “It’s reasonably cautious to say that’s probably not a good idea and it can potentially harm your child.”
Although Ontario’s Bill 36 aligns the use of marijuana with restrictions on tobacco use for the most part, there a few exceptions.
For instance, although tobacco can be used in cars, marijuana use is only permitted in residential vehicles and boats that have permanent sleeping accommodations and cooking facilities, while they are parked or anchored. And although cannabis can be transported in a car, it must be in a sealed package and not accessible to anyone in the vehicle.
“It’s very strict around the driving, and we’re pleased about that part of it,” Feller said, adding people need to wait at least six hours before driving.
The legislation also allows municipalities to implement stricter bylaws regulating cannabis use, which could include larger buffer zones prohibiting cannabis use around schools and playgrounds, and some areas where youth and children are expected to be.
“Our next step in public health will be to go back and work with the Region and municipalities and the public” to develop a regional bylaw, Feller said.
She said public health has begun preliminary work to develop a cannabis bylaw, or update the existing tobacco bylaw to include cannabis.
The next step will focus on public consultation “to find out what people want and if they want it to be stronger still, and what approach do they want to take.
“We can’t presuppose any of that but we’re really looking forward to going through that process,” Feller said.
Meanwhile, workplaces and institutions throughout Niagara have also established policies to regulate the use of the drug. Feller said the health department can help.
She said landlords and property owners have the power to create their own policies regarding cannabis use.
“There’s an entire process that we can support them in that,” Feller said.
She said more information about cannabis legalization can be found on the public health department website.