Cannabis a Harm Reduction Tool for Youth
With the Opioid Crisis Growing, Youth Are At Higher Risk of Overdose – LPC
A version of this story originally published at www.wellandtribune.ca
Addiction physicians have been cautious to call cannabis the solution to the opioid crisis. However, many — including people with firsthand knowledge of opioid addiction — support cannabis substitution programs.
Canada’s overdose crisis — fuelled by increasingly toxic street drugs and compounded by COVID-19 — is going into overdrive, and youth are particularly vulnerable, researchers say.
But research suggests novel approaches might help youth struggling with illicit drugs, and mitigate the risk of overdose, including using cannabis as a harm reduction tool and focusing on other aspects of youths’ lives before pushing treatment or recovery.
Even prior to the pandemic, Canadian youth ages 15 to 24 were the fastest growing population hospitalized for illicit drug overdoses.
And young people age 29 and younger account for approximately 20 per cent (3,200) of the more than 16,000 fatal overdoses across Canada between January 2016 and March 2020.
Youth, especially those experiencing homelessness or unstable housing, are particularly at risk of overdose, said Danya Fast, a researcher with the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU).
However, many young people mistrust the medical system and face challenges in getting care for substance use issues, including long wait times for treatment or recovery programs, age restrictions or difficulty assessing safe supply (prescribed alternative drugs).
Cannabis Mayb Be a Harm Reduction Tool for Youth
But cannabis use among some young people may be helpful in reducing the harms from other substances, Fast said.Youth involved in a recent study indicated they weren’t using cannabis for recreation, but rather to reduce or eliminate the use of other more harmful drugs, including alcohol, or street drugs such as fentanyl, heroin and crystal methamphetamine (meth), Fast said.Cannabis use, significantly less dangerous than using toxic illicit drugs, is a tool for youth looking to relieve ongoing pain and mental health issues, she added.“In quite a few cases, young people will attempt to manage their substance use on their own with […] Click here to view full story at www.wellandtribune.ca
This editorial content from the LPC News Team — based on curated, hand-picked articles — provides analysis, insight, and perspective on current news articles. LPC provides a forum for a variety of viewpoints including those which may not be its own. Are you part of the legal cannabis industry in Canada? Add Your Listing and get found by a qualified audience.
