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Canadians are increasingly using cannabis, especially after it became legal for recreational use in Canada in October 2018. This has led to a debate about whether the Federal Government’s policy objective of keeping cannabis out of the hands of children and youth can be achieved by strict regulation.

This is a public health issue that must be addressed by governments, and by the industry and society at large. As with alcohol, we need to ensure that cannabis is not accessed by children or young people, and we must protect them from the negative effects of cannabis.

Keeping Cannabis Out of the Hands of Youth and Adolescents: A Public Health Approach

There are several domains in which government is responsible for regulating the age and availability of cannabis, including access, possession, sale and cultivation. At the national level, Bill C-45 (the Cannabis Act) enacted minimum access laws at 18 years of age and most provinces have also followed suit.

Although this age requirement is largely effective in deterring access to cannabis by young people, it does not address the harms associated with cannabis use. This is because the human brain continues to develop until the early 20s, during which time adolescents are more susceptible to harmful effects of cannabis compared with adults. The evidence indicates that limiting access to cannabis until the mid-20s would be an effective way to protect adolescents from the harmful effects of cannabis.

Defining the minimum age of cannabis access is important, because it provides an opportunity for government to consider the best possible age limit in order to minimize harms to adolescents. However, this debate is not easy to resolve and is complicated by the fact that cannabis is often used by youth who are not aware of its dangers.

The most effective approach is to work together with communities to determine the age limit that will most effectively prevent harmful outcomes for adolescents and protect their healthy development. This could involve a range of approaches, including implementing public education campaigns that raise awareness of the dangers associated with cannabis.

Strict labelling standards and package warnings for cannabis products are also important to ensuring that consumers know what they are purchasing. These standards are similar to those for cigarettes and should ensure that consumers are provided with an accurate list of ingredients, potency and other information about the product they are purchasing.

Funding for public education on the harmful effects of cannabis and its dependence on children and youth should be increased to help reinforce the message that using cannabis is not safe. This public education should be directed to young people, their parents and their communities to help them avoid the negative consequences of using cannabis.

Creating a sustainable and successful legal cannabis market will require government action to reduce costs, taxation and regulations. This will help to promote competition and encourage growth in the industry, as well as provide financial security for producers.

In addition to a reduction in cost, it is also important that government policy focus on increasing the number of products available. This will ensure that the government is able to meet increasing demand.

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