OTTAWA (September 23, 2022): The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) welcomes the opportunity to contribute evidence on public health, public safety and equity that has been generated through research conducted by our experts to the federal review of the Cannabis Act.

"As the only national organization mandated by legislation to research substance use and addiction in Canada, we feel the review provides an important opportunity to ensure that Canada is achieving the public health and safety objectives it set when legalizing cannabis," says CEO Dr. Alexander Caudarella.

"Economic or industry considerations should not be allowed to overshadow this focus."

It will also be important – and challenging – to distinguish between impacts from federal legislation and provincial differences in retail sales models. For example, transition to the legal market or increases in rates of use are influenced by outlet distribution, which is outside federal authority. Many activities related to public health and safety, including retail models and locations of use, are regulated at the provincial and territorial level.

On-Premise Cannabis Use: Public Health and Safety Considerations and Cannabis Legalization: 2021-2022 Observations are the latest in CCSA’s suite of cannabis resources, including a Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding public awareness poster and A Practical Guide to Assessing Cannabis Use, both of which focus on harm reduction techniques.

MEDIA CONTACT
Christine LeBlanc, Communications Advisor
Email: cleblanc@ccsa.ca
Tel.: 613-898-6343