This week, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, a non-profit think tank, released data showing that nearly 25,000 Canadians aged 10 to 24 were hospitalized last year due to substance use. Cannabis was, by some distance, the single largest driver of hospitalizations.
Cannabis accounted for 40 per cent of hospitalizations — 10,000 cases — followed next by alcohol at 25 per cent. Seventy per cent of the young people hospitalized for substance use also had a mental health diagnosis such as a mood, psychotic or anxiety disorder.
While the data showed that total hospitalizations decreased by 1,700 from the previous year, the rate of cannabis-related hospitalizations among young people has not materially changed since 2018, when cannabis was first legalized.
The government’s decision to legalize cannabis in 2018 was the right one. Decriminalization reduces the number of people — particularly underprivileged kids — who get caught up in the criminal justice system. It diverts money from the black market into a legal one. It enables cannabis to be regulated for safety.
But Canadians, especially young Canadians and their parents, need to be better informed about the risks of cannabis use. In this regard, the government must do more.
One serious risk is that regular cannabis use is associated with schizophrenia, particularly among young men. A recent study of seven million people found that “one-fifth of cases of schizophrenia among young males might be prevented by averting cannabis use disorder,” Canadian Affairs reported in August.
As University of Waterloo professor David Hammond told Canadian Affairs at the time, “the association between regular cannabis use and the development of schizophrenia is one of the health effects with robust evidence.”
And yet, the government’s 2022 cannabis survey found that only 57 per cent of respondents who had used cannabis in the past 12 months knew that regular cannabis use increases the risk of mental health problems.
Another risk is toxicity. A recent Globe and Mail article reported that the government has failed to study the health effects of cannabis consumption. This is troubling. Early research shows cannabis smoke may pose a greater risk for developing lung cancer than tobacco.
Since 2018, the government has spent $66 million a year on a tobacco strategy that aims to help smokers quit and prevent non-smokers from taking up cigarettes.
By comparison, the 2018 federal budget committed $100 million over five years to cannabis public education, awareness and surveillance. Annually, this works out to just $20 million — less than a third of the amount spent on tobacco — even though cannabis is much more widely used and its risks less well-understood.
Last year, a whopping half of Canadians aged 20 to 24 and a third of those aged 16 to 19 used cannabis. By comparison, just over 10 per cent of Canadians aged 15 and older smoke cigarettes. But only half of respondents who used cannabis perceived smoking cannabis to pose a risk. Almost all respondents understood regular tobacco use poses risks.
Clearly, more work needs to be done to educate the public. The government’s messaging campaigns are not reaching enough people. Nearly half of all respondents said they had not noticed any education campaigns or public health messages about cannabis.
With tens of thousands of hospitalizations each year, cannabis already costs the health system a significant sum. If cannabis use also has downstream effects like schizophrenia or lung cancer, its long-term price tag will be far dearer — both in dollars spent and lives lost.
It is imperative that the government start taking steps to improve understanding of cannabis’ risks so that Canadians — especially the young Canadians most deserving of our protection — are equipped to make informed choices.
