As part of the Cannabis Act, products that are made from cannabis or contains cannabis should have a warning on the label. The Canadian government has set forth a list of warnings that manufacturers could use.
The Cannabis Act has been through a lot of consultations, including talks with cannabis businesses, medical marijuana users, politicians and other consultants. The list of warnings is a good indication of the possible negative effects of ingesting cannabis, as seen in the eyes of people who have researched into marijuana, processing the stuff, and who have used it for themselves.
As such, it would give the rest of the world a better view of what makes cannabis dangerous, in the eyes of the Canadian government.
1. Cannabis smoke is harmful.
Cannabis might not be a good substitute for tobaccos as the harmful chemicals that you find in tobacco smoke are also present in marijuana smoke.
2. Not for pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers.
Using cannabis may harm the baby and can result in low in low birth weight. The chemicals and compounds in cannabis might also make its way to breastmilk, so the baby might ingest it.
3. Using cannabis and products that contain cannabis is not safe if you are driving or operating machinery afterwards.
As with alcohol, do not drive after ingesting or smoking cannabis. In 2012, at least 4,000 Canadians were injured and another 75 died when they met accidents while driving under the influence of cannabis, or while operating machinery.
What’s more, cannabis use can impair coordination, as well as your ability to judge distances. Reaction time is also longer when you are high.
4. Cannabis may be addictive.
This might a wee bit surprising, because people think that cannabis is much less addictive than other drugs. But did you know that according to the Canadian government, 1 in every 11 people who use marijuana will be addicted to the stuff? Frequent use may also make you addicted, with around half of the people who report daily cannabis use becoming addicted to it.
Also, up to 1 in every 2 people who use cannabis daily will have problems related to their health, work and interpersonal relationships because of their habit.
5. Regular marijuana use increases the risk of developing schizophrenia and psychosis.
If you use products that are made from cannabis or have cannabis content, and it is high in THC, then you are more at risk of developing schizophrenia and psychosis. If you consume high amounts of THC, the onset of schizophrenia could also happen when you are younger, compared to those who do not use cannabis. When it comes to schizophrenia and psychosis, the deleterious effects of marijuana use are especially more pronounced among young people.
6. Cannabis is not for the young.
Teenagers are more at risk when they use marijuana and marijuana products. Aside from the fact that early and frequent use of cannabis increases the risk of schizophrenia and psychosis, teenagers who use cannabis are also more easily addicted to marijuana.
Further, more people who start using cannabis as teenagers will become addicted to it. According to studies, up to 1 in every 6 teenagers using cannabis will be addicted.
So for the Canadian government, young people, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and those with a risk of developing psychosis and schizophrenia should not touch marijuana. People who also plan to drive or operate machinery are not supposed to touch the stuff.
And while that may affect a lot of people, Canada’s view of the bad and harmful effects of cannabis is still pretty liberal by standards set by the rest of the world.