For the most part, ending cannabis prohibition in October 2018 proved to be a positive measure, especially in economic terms. According to Statistics Canada, Canadians spent $907,833,000 on non-medical, legally produced cannabis between October 2018 and September 2019, which is either a good or bad result depending on an individual’s conclusions.
Prohibitionists often produce arguments about cannabis addiction. Yet, the addictive properties of cannabis might be less severe than some might believe. In an American Institute of Medicine report in 1999, the addictive ratio of cannabis measured nine per cent, alcohol was rated at 15 per cent and nicotine addiction came in at a whopping 32 per cent. However, in the prohibition era, several American users were forced to attend drug treatment programs for cannabis as a part of their sentences, fuelling addiction theories.
Before Canada introduced legalization, many U.S. states were either decriminalizing or legalizing recreational cannabis. Uruguay became the first country to fully legalize cannabis in 2013. Legalizing cannabis is a divisive topic. Some were horrified and others were ecstatic when recreational cannabis was sanctioned in Canada. The divide between the yeas and nays over cannabis legalization still remains in this nation, although views are changing.
How dangerous is cannabis? Some scientists would say cannabis isn’t hazardous at all because of the cannabinoid receptors in the human body. In an essay on cannabinoids and neuroprotection, Sunil Aggarwal M.D. and Ph.D. and Gregory T. Carter M.D. wrote about cannabis’ vast medicinal properties. They talked of body’s internal cannabinoid system, arguing this interior network acted as a lock and cannabis served as the key, triggering a cellular response when opened. The researchers said cannabinoids can act as a neuroprotective agent, defending the body against several diseases. Other researchers such as Mark S. Wallace M.D. and Ben Platt M.D. concurred with cannabis’ medical properties, having written extensively on using cannabis for pain relief.
I would argue that cannabis can be safely consumed as a medicine or used within a recreational context by adults without the devastating results produced by other drugs. But young people should be advised to keep away from smoking, eating or vaping cannabis until their brains have matured.
Cannabis is not nearly as addictive as drugs like heroin, cocaine or alcohol, but a minority of users can become psychologically addicted in concurrence with studies produced by Marsha Rosenbaum Ph.D. Any kind of psychological addiction can be devastating for a teen who hasn’t yet reached full development.
Early and regular cannabis usage had also been linked to poor performances in school, lower grades and dropping out of the system. Some research suggested early and regular usage by young people could affect one’s cognitive abilities, but the results are nuanced and differ greatly from individual to individual. Some of the subjects might’ve even been predisposed to being bad students ages before they’ve used cannabis, but developing minds aren’t worth being risked.
Research by Cheryl Corcoran M.D. suggested cannabis induced long term psychosis in a minority of users. But most of these consumers who became mentally ill had inherited predilections to disorders such as schizophrenia before they started smoking or eating cannabis. Yet in Corcoran’s words, “Delaying psychosis onset is not a trivial endeavour, as it might allow individuals to consolidate social and vocational function before becoming ill.”
Victoria L. Creighton, the Clinical Director for the Pine River Institute in Toronto said “We know from our experience that early and frequent use of cannabis has a number of negative consequences for youth, specifically around their emotional maturity.” Of course, the lack of emotional maturity stemming from using cannabis at a young age could also be used as a robust motive to prevent teenaged drinking. In essence then, there are solid arguments for setting age limits for both cannabis and alcohol usage until an individual has entered adulthood.
