Canada's youth up in smoke: The decriminalization of cannabis

Abstract

The Government of Canada’s proposed reforms on cannabis laws suggests that alternative penalties for youth possessing small amounts of cannabis would include a fine and a notification to parents. The penalties are more severe if a youth is in possession of cannabis while driving a car or near a school. The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) supports these reforms because they will reduce youth involvement in the criminal justice system. However, this assertion should not be viewed as a tacit approval of cannabis use among youth without penalty. Canadian paediatricians firmly believe that cannabis use is a harmful, risky practice among adolescents, especially those youth at risk of engaging in multiple risky behaviours (1–3). What is clear is that cannabis use is harmful to the health of Canada’s adolescents and the impact of the proposed changes to the laws on youth needs to be carefully monitored. Preliminary research suggests that cannabis use by adolescents whose pubertal brain development is yet to be completed may predispose them to dependency and addictions. According to the McCreary Centre Society, a study conducted in British Columbia indicates an increase in the frequency of cannabis use by adolescents in the 1990’s from 25% to 40% over the decade (4). During this same period, the age of first use has decreased. In 1992, 10% of 13-year-olds in that province had used cannabis but, by 1998, their use had increased to 20% (5). Youth using cannabis at an early age has been linked to a lowered connectedness to family and school, increased emotional distress, violence and antisocial behaviours (5). There is some evidence that consumption of cannabis by pregnant teens is associated with long-term emotional and behavioural problems in their offspring (6), and the negative impact of cannabis use on performance during behaviours such as driving and its association with unsafe sexual practices has been suggested (7–9). Specifically, the CPS recommends the following: changing the language of the reforms to the cannabis laws so that age limits conform to those for the legal purchase of alcohol and tobacco products in each province; ensuring that the financial penalties for simple possession do not differ between adults and youth; undertaking a national review of the availability and adequacy of developmentally appropriate substance use treatment facilities for youth; supporting public education programs that are evidence-based and include evaluative research; and making funding available for research on cannabis use by adolescents (which could include research on the impact of cannabis use on the brain during puberty, a study of the social and emotional dimensions of cannabis use during adolescence, and an evaluation of harm-reduction interventions).