Welcome to the Great Canadian Cannabis Experiment.
For residents 19 and older in B.C. [the legal age varies across the country] we are now officially lab rats for the rest of the world.
Stigma and stereotypes aside, let’s get excited about the science.
Canada is the first G7 Nation to legalize cannabis, allowing researchers full reign to explore the nature of a plant that has the potential for medicinal qualities. [Uruguay legalized marijuana in Dec. 2013].
Before moving to the North Coast, I wrote for the Canadian Medical Association Journal during a time when the Harper government set up a system that required doctors to approve patients for medical marijuana through federally-approved licenced producers.
The argument then, as it is now, is that there isn’t enough research to say anything for certain.
However, in 2015, there were already six approved clinical trials for patients using dried cannabis, and some observational studies were being conducted including a province-wide study in Quebec.
RELATED: B.C. college offering continuing education courses in cannabis
Some of the studies involved creating a data registry so physicians, who will still be involved with prescribing medical cannabis to patients, will one day be able to pinpoint what strain or dosage would help their patient best. There was also a randomized clinical trial in Kelowna for using cannabis for post traumatic stress disorder.
Before Health Canada launched its medical marijuana program involving licenced producers in 2014, there was only one government licenced producer using one strain. After legalization, B.C. alone plans to have 150 strains of cannabis available for wholesale distribution.
Scientists — and users— can now experiment with different strains, some with higher CBD (more of a body high), or higher THC (the chemical that has psychological effects).
Even if you’re not a user, who doesn’t love a good experiment where we get to learn more about nature, ourselves, and the possible health benefits that we can share with other countries?
As for the business and social experiment, we’ll have to wait to see how those seeds bud.
RELATED: 5 tips for talking to your kids about cannabis