The Canadian Medical Association is recommending strict regulation of marijuana 鈥� including a minimum purchase age of 21.
The doctors' group outlined its recommendations in a submission to a federal taskforce working on legalization legislation, which is expected to be tabled next spring.
鈥淓xisting evidence on marijuana points to the importance of protecting the brain during its development,鈥� the CMA submission states.
鈥淪ince that development is only finalized by about 25 years of age, this would be an ideal minimum age based on currently accepted scientific evidence,鈥� the submission states.
However, it also suggests 25 is unrealistic, considering that the current average age of first use in Canada is 16, so a lower age 鈥渟hould be considered in order to deter youth from seeking marijuana from organized crime groups, where they are exposed to other more dangerous drugs鈥︹��
The CMA notes that they surveyed doctors and more than a quarter supported 21 as the minimum age, while about a fifth selected 18 and another fifth selected 25. Therefore it is recommending 21.
The potential health harms of marijuana, according to the CMA, include:
- Addiction
- Cardiovascular effects
- Pulmonary effects like chronic bronchitis
- Mental illness
- Cognitive impairment
- Higher incidence of psychosis disorders like schizophrenia
- Injuries from impaired driving
The submission stresses that it does not take a position on whether marijuana should be legal in general, but that it supports a public health approach to dealing with the consequences.
It argues that, because marijuana is harmful to health, 鈥渘ormalization鈥� should be targeted in much the same way as tobacco and alcohol.
The other recommendations include:
- Minimum age of 21 and minimum age of 25 for more potent products
- Prohibiting marketing of marijuana, similar to tobacco products
- Putting marijuana in 鈥減lain packaging鈥� that outlines the health risks
- Minimum pricing to discourage use
- Taxing it and giving the money mostly to the provinces and territories to counteract health care and law enforcement costs
- Restrictions on the maximum level of THC
- Restrictions on 鈥渆dibles,鈥� such as child-proof packaging
- Limitations on where marijuana can be sold
- Pilot projects in certain jurisdictions before going nation-wide
- A process to identify, test and charge individuals who are driving under the influence
- Funding more public education because 鈥渁wareness of the harms of marijuana is generally low鈥�
- Funding more research related to marijuana
- Selling it in liquor stores or other retail outlets, but not in health care settings like pharmacies
- Allowing sales only a certain distance away from schools, parks, playgrounds, colleges and universities
- Expanding access to substance abuse, mental health and social stabilization services
Health Minister Jane Philpott told the UN General Assembly in New York on April 20 鈥� an annual day of celebration among pot-smokers -- that legalization legislation will be introduced spring 2017.
"I am proud to stand up for our drug policy that is informed by solid scientific evidence and uses a lens of public health to maximize education and minimize harm,鈥� said the minister, who was also a physician.
Philpott argued that legislation will keep marijuana 鈥渙ut of the hands of children, and profits out of the hands of criminals.鈥�
Although the Conservatives under Stephen Harper opposed legalization, Tory MP Lisa Raitt told CTV鈥檚 Power Play in April that her party 鈥渨ill look at what the legislation does鈥� and 鈥減ut forth amendments where we see fit.鈥�
Raitt added that she鈥檚 not convinced legalization will keep the drug out of the hands of children, adding that it will take 鈥渁 heck of a piece of legislation for that to happen.鈥�
