Take care when using cannabis

By Linda Jensen Times Contributor

According to a recent story in the Calgary Herald, there are over 200 hundred cannabis stores in Calgary. An additional 100 more stores have been refused in that city, mostly due to school and daycare proximity.
With at least four cannabis outlets in Strathmore, legalization of the drug 11 months ago has sparked public curiosity, consumption and concern.
In The Need For Weed, a medical marijuana presentation during the Senior Power conference in Strathmore on Sept. 20, local pharmacist Joshua Poteet presented the facts.
“It is primarily the buds that are used medically,” he said. “They are more concentrated, have been studied the most and are the most well understood. Medically, the ratio of the cannabinoids, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), are measured.”
Alberta Health Services states on its website that THC affects how a person thinks, acts and feels. “It can make you feel high,” states the website. “While CBD can help you feel relaxed without the high. And it may lessen pain and other symptoms.”
There are four types of marijuana dosing: smoking, oral, oromucosal and vaporization.
“Vaporizing is better than smoking,” said Poteet. “Swallow or add oils to food such as baked goods or edibles. Spray in the mouth to be absorbed through the skin.” In addition, he said it can be used “directly on the skin or as a topical cream (for putting on sore joints).”
Poteet said despite all the hype surrounding the perceived benefits of using cannabis, it can still be risky.
“We are concerned about increased impaired driving … and pregnancy vitality,” Poteet said. “Cannabis is known to have an effect on a woman’s ability to maintain pregnancy. Miscarriage is more common, as is low birth weight.”
The effects of cannabis may be delayed and last for 12 hours. For example, when putting cannabis into baking and then eating three pieces one right after the other because the first two hadn’t taken effect yet. “You (can) have a severe reaction (to the drug),” he said. “And when you put cannabis in food, its (effects) may last a long time.”
When asked how to obtain medical marijuana, Poteet was explicit. “Consult a trusted health care practitioner for a medical document. Then, register with a licensed producer and place your order.”
Of course, today, cannabis can be obtained without medical clearance at various provincially licensed outlets. A person must be 18 years of age or older to purchase cannabis and children are not allowed to enter cannabis stores, even with an adult. Thirty grams is the most you can buy or carry at a time. And a person cannot smoke in most public places – every municipality has different rules.
A person can grow their own cannabis plants – in Alberta, that’s a maximum of four plants per household. Driving while impaired by cannabis is illegal, and like with alcohol, cannabis cannot be within reach of anyone in a vehicle.
In September, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) stated the national rate of hospital stays for harm caused by substance abuse among youth who are between the ages of 10 and 24 was 364 per 100,000. In Alberta, it is 15 per cent higher and the top two guilty substances are alcohol and cannabis.
“At least 65 people per day are admitted to hospital for cannabis-induced psychosis,” said Poteet. “That is when they lose touch with reality.”
Poteet encouraged both experienced and new users alike to understand the acute and chronic effects of cannabis. He suggested before trying cannabis to visit a family doctor to gain better insight on the effects of cannabis, and any potential risks that may be encountered when consuming it.