The Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health (CAMH) does not encourage or promote cannabis use. CAMH emphasizes
that the most effective way of avoiding cannabis-related harms is through
not using cannabis, and encourages people to seek treatment where its
use has become a problem.
Cannabis is not a benign drug. Cannabis
use, and in particular frequent and long-term cannabis use, has been associated
with negative health and behavioural consequences, including respiratory
damage, problems with physical coordination, difficulties with memory
and cognition, pre- and post-natal development problems, psychiatric effects,
hormone, immune and cardio-vascular system defects, as well as poor work
and school performance. The consequences of use by youth and those with
a mental disorder are of particular concern. However, most cannabis use
is sporadic or experimental and hence not likely to be associated with
serious negative consequences.
CAMH thus holds the position that
the criminal justice system in general, and the Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act (CDSA) specifically, under which cannabis possession
is a criminal offense, has become an inappropriate control mechanism.
This conclusion is based on the available scientific knowledge on the
effects of cannabis use, the individual consequences of a criminal conviction,
the costs of enforcement, and the limited effectiveness of the criminal
control of cannabis use.
CAMH thus concurs with similar recent
calls from many other expert stakeholders who believe that the control
of cannabis possession for personal use should be removed from the realm
of the CDSA and the criminal law/criminal justice system. While harmful
health consequences exist with extensive cannabis use, CAMH believes that
the decriminalization of cannabis possession will not lead to its increased
use, based on supporting evidence from other jurisdictions that have introduced
similar controls.
CAMH recommends that a more appropriate
legal control framework for cannabis use be put into place that will result
in a more effective and efficient control system, produce fewer negative
social and individual consequences, and maintain public health and safety.
An alternative legal control system for the Canadian context can be chosen
from a number of options that have been tried and proven adequate in other
jurisdictions.
CAMH further recommends that such
an alternative framework be explored on a temporary and rigorously evaluated
trial basis, and that an appropriate level of funding be provided/maintained
for prevention and treatment programs to minimize the prevalence of cannabis
use and its associated harms.
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