Significant gaps in knowledge in recreational cannabis use in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph region: survey
Posted Mar 9, 2024 07:13:46 AM.
Last Updated Mar 9, 2024 07:13:51 AM.
Results from a public health survey show there are significant gaps in knowledge when it comes to recreational cannabis use in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph region, and provide comparisons to how know-how has evolved since legalization.
The first survey was completed in 2018, just before the legalization of cannabis. The latest survey was done in 2023, collecting responses from just over 2000 people, providing a look into how people are using cannabis 5 years later and what they know about recreational use.
About one in three people didn’t know that cannabis use poses a different risk to youth under the age of 25, something Anna Vanderlaan, Manager of Promotion with Public Health, said is dangerous to their development.
“We’re talking about problems with thinking, problem-solving, learning, memory, and maintaining attention,” said Vanderlaan. “Locally, about 90 per cent of respondents to our survey said that they began using cannabis before the age of 25.”
One of the most concerning gaps in knowledge came in edible use, a growing method of cannabis use in the region, where 43 per cent of people didn’t know that edibles have a delayed response.
“Our mantra in public health is ‘start low, and go slow’,” said Vanderlaan. “It can take up to two hours to feel the effects, so we want everyone to know about how that impact works so that you don’t overconsume cannabis.”
The type of use has also changed, with more edible and vape use replacing the traditional dried flower.
Vanderlaan added that the region has significant room for improvement but is happy to see that younger people are becoming more informed when it comes to the risks of using cannabis.
