Drug  Free  Kids  Canada  Position  Regarding  Legalization  of  Recreational  Cannabis  

Background  

DFK’s  mission  is  and  has  always  been  to  help  reduce  the  use  of  illicit  and  inherently  dangerous  drugs  and  to  reduce/eliminate  the  use  of  prescribed  drugs  for  non-­‐medicinal  purposes.      

The  key  landscape  change  that  bears  on  DFK’s  mission  is  the  Canadian  government’s  stated  commitment  to  deliver  on  an  election  promise  to  legalize  the  use  of  marijuana.    This  promise  appears  to  extend  beyond  the  medical  use  of  marijuana  and  will  likely  include  personal  consumption.    Legalization  of  marijuana  use  should,  under  no  circumstances,  be  regarded  as  an  invitation  to  use  marijuana.    The  risks  from  the  consumption  or  use  of  marijuana  remain  and  may  well  be  increased,  if  public  consumption  expands.  Legalization  of  marijuana  is  simply  recognition  that  the  current  laws  prohibiting  such  use  have  failed  to  accomplish  their  purpose,  have  proven  to  be  ruinously  burdensome  and  expensive,  and  have  enabled  organized  crime  to  generate  enormous  profits.  

While  not  retreating  from  its  mission,  such  legalization  will  have  an  impact  on  the  manner  in  which  the  use  of  marijuana  should  be  assessed  by  DFK,  since  the  legalization  of  marijuana  effectively  moves  it  from  an  illicit  substance  to  one  that  is/will  be  regulated,  not  unlike  tobacco  and  alcohol,  both  of  which  also  have  proven  negative  health  and  dependency  impacts  on  Canadians.  

DFK  is  not  a  lobbying  organization.    It  does,  however,  have  an  influential  and  informed  platform  from  which  to  speak  and  disseminate  facts  regarding  the  use  of  marijuana  that  may  be  of  interest  to  governments,  the  public  at  large,  media  and,  in  particular,  the  parents  of  young  Canadians.      

Specifically,  its  mission  includes  provision  of  evidence-­‐based  messages  on  the  risks  of  drug  use  and  the  benefits  of  a  drug-­‐free  lifestyle  –  a  mission  that  remains  valid  under  both  current  law  and  any  future  laws  that  might  make  recreational  use  of  marijuana  legal.      

In  this  respect,  DFK  has  two  principal  positions:  a  responsible  framework  for  legalized  availability  and  use  of  recreational  marijuana,  and  increased  emphasis  on  the  need  for  educational  resources  for  parents  who  have  teenagers  who  may  be  at  risk.    DFK  believes  that  the  regulatory  framework  should  be  established  in  a  responsible  and  thorough  manner  prior  to  its  release,  rather  than  proceeding  to  publish  something  that  is  known  in  advance  to  require  modification.  

Responsible  Regulatory  Framework  

DFK  has  reviewed  the  ongoing  developing  regulatory  frameworks  in  the  United  States,  examined  publications  prepared  by  the  Canadian  Centre  on  Substance  Abuse  and  has  consulted  its  Advisory  Council,  which  includes  medical  experts  (such  as  clinicians  and  researchers),  law  enforcement,  adolescent  addiction  counsellors,  family  health  counsellors,  psychologists,  pharmacists  and  other  NGOs.  

 

   

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Based   on   this   review,   DFK   considers   that   a   responsible   regulatory   framework   for   legalized  marijuana  should  include  at  least  the  following  elements:  

• Evidence-­‐based  independent  research  on    

o the   impact  of  marijuana  use  on   the  developing  brain   for  purposes  of  determining   the  minimum  age  for  use  of  marijuana  

o the  impact  of  potency  levels  of  THC  for  purposes  of  understanding  risks  associated  with  certain  THC  concentrations  in  order  to  inform  regulations  on  levels  

o the   effects   and   extent   of   the   use   of  marijuana,   along  with   trends   in   the   use   of   other  drugs  (e.g.,  cocaine,  heroin,  ecstasy,  etc.)  

o national  annual  consumption  studies  that  include  the  student  population  o drug-­‐impaired  driving  and  other  criminal  behaviours  o addiction  trajectories  o baseline  data  to  be  established  for  all  population  segments  involving  the  legalization  of  

recreational  use  of  marijuana  o establishing   appropriate   limits   (including   consideration   of   zero   tolerance)   for   the  

presence  of  a  drug  while  driving    

• Channels  of  distribution    

o restriction  of  Big  Industries  (e.g.,  tobacco,  alcohol)  o equal   or   greater   restriction   of   advertising   and   promotion   of   use,   as   in   the   case   of  

tobacco  o restriction  (or  elimination)  of  personal  cultivation  o distribution  to  be  limited  to  government  or  licenced  outlets  o regulation  of  permissible  quantities  to  be  purchased  (e.g.,  >1  oz.)  

 • Penalties  and  controls  

o minimum  age   limits   for  consumption  and  possession   to  be  established  on   the  basis  of  scientific   research,   as   opposed   to   simply   following   age   limits   established   for  alcohol/tobacco  

o clear   requirements   for   producers   and   distributors   of   marijuana   with   respect   to  maximum   THC   content,   other   components,   quality   control,   product   testing,   record  keeping,  etc.  

o once   appropriate   impairment   levels   are   set,   same   penalties   as   for   alcohol-­‐impaired  driving  

o controls   for   sale   or   supply   to   those   younger   than   the   minimum   age   limits   to   be  established,  combined  with  severe  penalties  for  non-­‐licensed  distributors  

o regulation  of  packaging,  advertising,  internet  and  mail  order  sales  

   

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o public   consumption   to   be   prohibited,   more   than   for   tobacco   and   alcohol,   including  significant  penalties  for  public  consumption  

o edible  product  should  not  be  permitted,  unless  there  are  strict  controls  on  production  (THC  levels),  plus  childproof  packaging  

o equivalent  or  greater  product  testing  and  risk  assessment  requirements  for  medical  use  marijuana/marijuana  products  as  with  other  medicines  made  available  to  and  approved  for  use  by  Canadians  

o equivalent  or  greater  product  testing  and  risk  assessment  requirements  for  personal  use  marijuana/marijuana   products   as   with   other   consumer   products   made   available   to  Canadians  

o explicit  product  liability  legislation  for  marijuana,  placing  product  health  impact  liability  on  producers  and  distributors  of  marijuana  

o significant  penalties  for  illicit  sales  

Drug  and  Addiction  Treatment  Education  Programs  

Legalization   of   marijuana   use   will   add   increased   risk   of   usage,   damage   and   addiction   by   kids   whose  brains  are  still  developing.    Informing  youth  (and  their  parents)  of  the  risks  of  marijuana  use  will  require  the  development  of  education  programs  and  teaching  materials  that  will  be  easily  available  and  targeted  to  the  special  circumstances  surrounding  marijuana  use,  such  as  

o special   emphasis   on   children   and   those   under   the   legal   age   limit   established   for  marijuana,  as  well  as  their  parents  

o smoking  in  the  presence  of  kids  to  be  discouraged  o consumption  of  edibles  o implementation  of  a  levy  on  all  marijuana  sales  (similar  to  the  GST  or  other  value-­‐added  

taxes   and   levies)   which   is   ear-­‐marked   for   drug   education   and   long-­‐term   addiction  treatment  programs/facilities,  both  publicly  and  privately  run  

o further   investment   in   drugged   driving   education   (similar   to   what   DFK   has   already  started)  

o education  on  acceptable  social  use  of  marijuana  products