The medical cannabis regulatory framework in Canada: A narrative review

Ng, Jeremy Y.; Homayouni, Pargol; Usman, Sana; Gomes, Zoya

doi:10.1016/j.eujim.2022.102104

Cited by 13 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 32 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…While recreational cannabis remains largely illegal on a global scale, medical cannabis has been legalized in countries such as Uruguay, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and over 30 states in the United States [ 6 ]. In Canada, cannabis was legalized for recreational use following the Cannabis Act in 2018, almost two decades after the legalization of medical cannabis in 2001 [ 7 , 8 ]. Since then, the prevalence of cannabis use among Canadians has increased.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The quality of health information provided on web sites selling cannabis to consumers in Canada is poor

Tahir

Lum

2022

Harm Reduct J

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Cannabis is used by millions of people for both medical and recreational purposes, and this use is even greater in jurisdictions where it is legalized, such as Canada. Online cannabis vendors have gained popularity for purchasing cannabis due to easy access and convenience to consumers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of health information provided by web sites of cannabis vendors selling products to Canadian consumers and to further identify trends in the information provided. Methods Six different searches were conducted on Google.ca, and the first 40 webpages of each search were screened for eligibility. A total of 33 unique web sites of cannabis vendors selling products to Canadian consumers were identified and included. The DISCERN instrument, which consists of 16 questions divided into three sections, was used to evaluate the quality of cannabis-related health information on these web sites. Results Across the 33 web sites, the average of the summed DISCERN scores was 36.83 (SD = 9.73) out of 75, and the mean score for the overall quality of the publication (DISCERN question 16) was 2.41 (SD = 0.71) out of 5. Many of these web sites failed to discuss uncertainties in research evidence on cannabis, the impact of cannabis use on quality of life, alternatives to cannabis use, risks associated with cannabis use, and lacked references to support claims on effects and benefits of use. Conclusion Our findings indicate that the quality of cannabis-related health information provided by online vendors is poor. Healthcare providers should be aware that patients may use these web sites as primary sources of information and appropriately caution patients while directing them to high-quality sources. Future research should serve to replicate this study in other jurisdictions and assess the accuracy of information provided by online cannabis vendors, as this was outside the scope of the DISCERN instrument.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The quality of health information provided on web sites selling cannabis to consumers in Canada is poor

Tahir

Lum

2022

Harm Reduct J

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Patient groups, in turn, successfully petitioned the courts to allow the sale of cannabis oil and fresh cannabis leaves (in 2015) [11] and again allow patients (or their designates) to cultivate cannabis for personal use (in August 2016) albeit with more restrictions than under the MMAR. The revised set of rules are known as the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) [12,13].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Lessons from 20 years of medical cannabis use in Canada

2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Canada was one of the first countries to regulate the medical use of cannabis. However, literature on Canada’s medical cannabis program is limited. Methods We use administrative data from the medical cannabis program, and licensed cannabis vendor catalog data to describe a) the participation of patients, physicians, and cannabis vendors in the program from its inception in 1999 to 2021, and b) trends in medical cannabis consumption, prices and potency. We also use national surveys conducted over the last several decades to estimate trends in regular cannabis use (medical or otherwise) and how it changed during the medical cannabis access regimes. Results In 2001, the Canadian government granted access to those with physician-documented evidence of a severe health problem that could not be managed using conventional therapies. Most patients accessed cannabis grown under a personal production license. By 2013, authorized daily cannabis dosages were very high. In 2014, the government, concerned over illegal diversion, required that cannabis be purchased from a licensed commercial grower; personal production was banned. Physicians were given responsibility for authorizing patient access. To fill the regulatory void, the physician regulatory bodies in Canada imposed their own prescribing restrictions. After these changes, the number of physicians who were willing to support patient cannabis use markedly decline but the number of patients participating in the program sharply increased. Medical cannabis use varied by province–rates were generally lower in provinces with stricter regulations on physician cannabis prescribing. Most varieties of cannabis oil available for sale are now high in CBD and low in THC. Dry cannabis varieties, conversely, tend to be high in THC and low in CBD. Inflation adjusted prices of most varieties of medical cannabis have declined over time. We find that rates of daily cannabis use (medical or otherwise) increased markedly after the 2014 policy regime. The fraction of Canadians using cannabis daily increased again after the 2018 legalization of recreational cannabis; at the same time, participation in the medical access program declined. Conclusion The implications for patient health outcomes of changes in the medical cannabis program and legalization of recreational use remains an important area for future research.

show abstract

“…Stigma towards cannabis has contributed to substantial knowledge gaps in Canadian healthcare education (Ko et al, 2016; Ng et al, 2022). Currently, there are inadequate cannabis‐related education and training opportunities throughout healthcare, leading to misconceptions and misunderstandings that perpetuate stigma towards medical cannabis (Ko et al, 2016; St. Pierre et al, 2020; Zolotov et al, 2018).…”

Section: Stigma Barriers and Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The residual effects of this ideologically driven campaign continue to add to the stigma surrounding the therapeutic applications of cannabis medicines (Geller & Fagan, 2010; Vitiello, 2019). Notably, there remain disproportionate impacts for vulnerable groups looking to apply medical cannabis as an alternative treatment and harm‐reduction intervention, and systematic inquiry into the medical benefits of cannabis has been impeded for decades (Ng et al, 2022), hindering healthcare curriculums and creating lasting knowledge gaps for healthcare professionals, healthcare academics and policymakers (Leos‐Toro et al, 2018; Melnikov et al, 2021; St. Pierre et al, 2020). Indeed, the criminalization of people who use cannabis and the characterization of all cannabis use as inherently problematic may be particularly pronounced in the context of treatment for problematic substance use, where cannabis use is generally classified as a problem rather than a potential solution (Hasin & Walsh, 2021; Williams, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Stigma‐related barriers to medical cannabis as harm reduction for substance use disorder: Obstacles and opportunities for improvement

Fehr,

Lo,

Nelson

et al. 2023

Int J Mental Health Nurs

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Emerging evidence on substituting cannabis for more harmful drugs has led to cannabis becoming a novel harm‐reduction strategy for combating the current drug poisoning crisis. However, the authorization of medical cannabis as part of a harm‐reduction approach and recovery strategy has significant implementation barriers rooted in longstanding stigma towards cannabis. Through a multi‐discipline collaboration of Canadian clinicians and academic researchers, we highlighted stigma barriers and opportunities to address these barriers to elicit improved delivery of medical cannabis as a harm‐reduction therapy within existing therapeutic frameworks. Evidence from existing literature and real‐world experiences converged on three key themes related to stigma barriers: (1) Lack of medical cannabis education within the healthcare community, (2) lack of consensus and coordination among harm‐reduction services and (3) access to medical cannabis. We highlight potential solutions to these issues, including improved healthcare education, better coordination between care teams and suggestions for improving access. Through this discussion, we hope to contribute to reducing the stigma around using medical cannabis as a harm‐reduction strategy for individuals with a substance use disorder and consider new perspectives in policy development surrounding recovery services.

show abstract

The medical cannabis regulatory framework in Canada: A narrative review

Cited by 13 publications

References 32 publications

The quality of health information provided on web sites selling cannabis to consumers in Canada is poor

The quality of health information provided on web sites selling cannabis to consumers in Canada is poor

Lessons from 20 years of medical cannabis use in Canada

Stigma‐related barriers to medical cannabis as harm reduction for substance use disorder: Obstacles and opportunities for improvement

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About