Tag: Canada

Musculoskeletal pain is a health condition that affects bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and/or muscles. Injuries, particularly ones that involve a fracture, are a common contributor to a patient developing musculoskeletal pain. Arthritis can also cause musculoskeletal pain.

According to international researchers, 1.71 billion people suffer from musculoskeletal conditions globally. Musculoskeletal conditions are reportedly the leading contributor to disability across the planet, with low back pain being the single leading cause of disability.

A team of investigators in Canada conducted a survey asking about musculoskeletal pain and cannabis use, with survey participants reporting that cannabis therapy effectively treats their condition. Below is more information about the survey and its results via a news release from NORML:

Toronto, Canada: More than one in five patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (MSK) report having used cannabis to manage their symptoms and 90 percent of them perceive it to be effective, according to data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

Canadian researchers surveyed 629 patients with chronic MSK pain. Twenty-three percent acknowledged having used cannabis therapeutically. Over 90 percent of consumers said that it was either “very,” “somewhat,” or “slightly” effective at managing their pain, improving their sleep, and reducing anxiety-related symptoms. More than half (57 percent) perceived cannabis to be more effective than other analgesic medications, and 40 percent acknowledged decreasing their use of traditional pain medications following their use of cannabis.

The study’s authors concluded: “One in five patients presenting to an orthopaedic surgeon with chronic MSK pain are using or have used cannabis with the specific intent to manage their pain, and most report it to be effective. … Future double-blind placebo-controlled trials are required to understand if this reported efficacy is accurate, and what role, if any, cannabis may play in the management of chronic MSK pain.”

Survey data published last month reported that one in four cannabis consumers use it primarily to achieve pain relief.

Full text of the study, “Understanding the epidemiology and perceived efficacy of cannabis use in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain,” appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research. Additional information on cannabis and pain management is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

If there is one thing that cannabis opponents and responsible cannabis consumers agree on, it is that no one should operate a motor vehicle on a public roadway if they are too impaired to operate the vehicle safely. That is true for cannabis and any other substance, including pharmaceutical drugs.

Cannabis DUI policies should be based on science, and not fear-mongering. Arbitrary per se THC limits, such as the recently approved 3.5 ng/mL threshold in Germany, punish longtime cannabis consumers who may have elevated metabolized THC levels, yet are not impaired at the time of testing.

A study in Canada recently examined the effects of consuming THC-infused edibles and driving performance among a cohort of self-reported ‘frequent’ cannabis consumers. The results of the study, while favorable, are not justification for operating a motor vehicle while impaired.

With that being said, just because someone has THC in their system does not mean that they are impaired, and public policies need to account for that scientific fact. Below is more information about the Canadian study via a news release from NORML:

Toronto, Canada: Subjects display few changes in simulated driving performance following the ingestion of THC-infused edible products, according to data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

Investigators affiliated with the University of Toronto assessed simulated driving behavior in 22 subjects prior to and following the ingestion of THC-infused edibles. Edibles contained, on average, 7.3 mg of THC. Subjects’ driving performance was assessed at two, four, and six hours. Study participants were primarily “frequent users of cannabis for recreational purposes.”

Researchers reported: “Compared to [baseline], cannabis edibles produced a decrease in mean speed 2 hours after consumption. … No changes in standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP; ‘weaving’), maximum speed, standard deviation of speed or reaction time were found at any time point.” Some participants expressed a lesser willingness to drive following cannabis ingestion.

Researchers theorized that the absence of any significant performance changes may “reflect [subjects’] tolerance to the effects of cannabis” – a phenomenon that has been reported in prior studies. According to one literature review, “Patients who take cannabinoids at a constant dosage over an extensive period of time often develop tolerance to the impairment of psychomotor impairment, so they can drive vehicles safely.”

The study’s authors concluded: “This is the first study of the impact of cannabis edibles on simulated driving. … Future studies will need to control for age and determine any age-related impacts on the effects of cannabis on driving. This is especially important given that participants over the age of 50 years have been overlooked in studies of the effects of cannabis on driving and related outcomes.”

Full text of the study, “The effect of cannabis edibles on driving and blood THC,” appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana and Psychomotor Performance.’

Canada became the first G-7 nation to adopt a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure back in late 2018. The only other nation to adopt a national legalization measure prior to Canada was Uruguay in 2013, however, Uruguay still does not permit legal sales to non-residents.

Malta, Luxembourg, Germany, and South Africa have all adopted national legalization measures to some degree since Canada adopted its measure. Yet, Canada remains the only country on the planet where adult consumers can make legal purchases across the nation regardless of their residence status.

A team of researchers recently examined hospitalization data in Canada before and after adult-use legalization was implemented. The researchers determined that there was ‘no increase’ in hospitalizations post-legalization. Below is more information about the study via a NORML news release:

Toronto, Canada: Policies legalizing the use and sale of cannabis products have not led to an increase in marijuana-related hospitalizations, according to data published in the Journal of Addictive Diseases.

Canadian investigators tracked rates of cannabis-related hospitalizations in Alberta in the years prior to and following legalization. Canadian lawmakers legalized the use and sale of cannabis flowers for those ages 18 and older in October 2018. Retailers began engaging in the sales of cannabis concentrates and edible products in 2020.

Researchers identified an increase in hospitalizations among those ages 18 to 24 in the period immediately prior to legalization, but they acknowledged that there were no increases in hospitalizations following legalization among representatives of any age group.

“Legalization was not significantly associated with immediate or ongoing changes in hospitalization rates … for either younger or older adults,” the study’s authors concluded.

Separate Canadian analyses have failed to identify an increase in either traffic-related hospitalizations or ER visits attributable to cannabis-related psychosis following legalization.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis legalization and hospitalizations in Alberta: Interrupted time series analysis by age and sex,” appears in the Journal of Addictive Diseases.

The false ‘lazy stoner’ stereotype is as old as cannabis prohibition itself. For decades cannabis consumers were portrayed in mainstream media, film, and on television as lazy burnouts who lacked drive and motivation.

Of course, that stereotype could not be farther from the truth. Many professional athletes consume cannabis and they are some of the fittest humans to ever exist. Titans of the business world consume cannabis, and many other types of successful members of society also consume cannabis. The use of cannabis does not automatically equate to a reduction in motivation.

A team of researchers in Canada recently conducted a study examining cannabis use and the prevalence of sedentary behavior. The study found no link between the two. Below is more information about the study and its results via a news release from NORML:

Toronto, Canada: Young and middle-aged adults who consume cannabis are no less likely than non-users to engage in daily physical activity, according to data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

Canadian researchers assessed physical activity in a cohort of 4,666 US adults ages 18 to 59 years old. Subjects wore a portable accelerometer that tracked participant’s daily activity levels. Researchers collected data for a minimum of four days.

Investigators reported that cannabis consumers were slightly more likely than non-users to engage in light physical activity. Researchers reported no differences between the two groups with respect to median daily sedentary time, time spent engaging in vigorous physical exercise, or sleeping.

“Recent cannabis use in young to midlife adults was not associated with accelerometer-measured sedentary or MVPA [moderate-to-vigorous physical activity] time, but it was associated with a marginal increase in LPA [light physical activity] time,” the study’s authors concluded. “Our findings provide evidence against existing concerns that cannabis use independently promotes sedentary behavior and decreases physical activity.

“This study provides useful insight into the association between cannabis use and physical activity, which may help inform clinicians and prescribers with patient counseling, patients and their lifestyle choices, as well as policy makers around public health resource allocations.”

The findings are consistent with those of several prior studies “challenging the stereotype that marijuana … users are less active than their non-using counterparts.” Among those age 60 and older, marijuana use has been associated with increased exercise frequency.

Full text of the study, “Recent cannabis use and accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behavior among young-to-midlife adults: An analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2014,” appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

Cannabis opponents and many mainstream media outlets have claimed over the years that cannabis is bad for human brains. As part of their ongoing claims, cannabis opponents often suggest that cannabis use causes psychosis.

Psychosis is a serious mental health condition that people suffer from, and it is always worthy of research and thoughtful discussions. Public health strategies should be led by science and not the harmful political views and special interests of a small group of individuals.

A team of researchers in Canada recently examined the rate of reported psychosis before and after adult-use cannabis legalization took effect in Canada. Canada legalized cannabis in late 2018. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Quebec, Canada: The legalization of the Canadian marijuana market is not associated with increases in cannabis-related psychotic episodes, according to data published in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

Canadian investigators assessed the frequency of marijuana-related psychotic incidents requiring hospitalization in the twelve months preceding legalization and in the twelve months following its enactment. (Canada legalized marijuana possession and retail sales in October 2018.)

Scientists reported “no increase in the proportion of ED consultations for a psychotic episode in which evidence for cannabis consumption was obtained before and after legalization.” They acknowledged that their findings were “in line with previous studies stating that legalization had no significant impact on ED’s consultations for psychosis.”

Two other Canadian studies have reached similar conclusions. The first, published in 2022, determined, “[The] implementation of Canada’s cannabis legalization framework was not associated with evidence of significant changes in cannabis-induced psychosis or schizophrenia ED [emergency department] presentations.” The second, published earlier this year, “did not find evidence of increases in health service use or incident cases of psychotic disorders over the short-term (17 month) period following cannabis legalization.”

In the United States, state-level marijuana legalization laws have not been associated with a statistically significant increase in psychosis-related health outcomes. Specifically, a 2022 paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open found no association between the adoption of marijuana legalization and overall rates of psychosis-related diagnoses or prescribed antipsychotics.

Although the use of cannabis and other controlled substances tends to be more common among those with psychotic illnesses, lifetime incidences of marijuana-induced psychosis are relatively rare among those who do not have a prior psychiatric diagnosis. According to one recent study, fewer than one-half of one percent of cannabis consumers had ever reported experiencing psychotic symptoms requiring medical intervention – a percentage that is lower than the rate associated with alcohol.

Full text of the study, “Effect of cannabis legalization in Canada on the incidence of psychosis consultations in Quebec City’s psychiatric emergency services,” appears inThe Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.