UPFRONT | From the editor The high road According to the federal government’s timeline, by the summer of 2018 Canada would have legalized the use of recreational marijuana. This impend-ing legalization is causing anxiety among certain sectors, including the health-care profession – and for good reason. The jury is still out on the long-term effects of marijuana use – or whether it’s really effective in treating certain health conditions or symptoms. There is anecdotal evidence of people turning to weed and finding relief to ease chronic pain and other health conditions, such as PTSD. However, sufficient and conclusive scientific evidence on the real benefits of marijuana – or the consequences of long-term use – is scarce. As provincial governments scramble to develop polices and regulations for the roll-out of this new legislation, they are urged to keep the focus on public health. A big concern about pot legalization is its consequence on young people and their developing brain. It’s true that the intent is to legitimize adult use, but our experience with cigarettes and alcohol as teenagers should tell us “restrictive access” can be subjective. About a third of Canadians 18 to 24 years report using marijuana in the past year, according to 2012 data from Statistics Canada. The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse reports one in 16 high school seniors use marijuana daily. Interestingly, there is a higher rate of pot users among 12th graders in states where there are medical marijuana laws compared to states that don’t have these laws. A study in New Zealand showed teens who heavily smoked marijuana lost an average of eight IQ points between age 13 and 38. Other studies point to a deterioration in cognitive thinking and learning among teen pot smokers. There is no doubt, adult users who turn to weed to ease their medical conditions would benefit from this new regulatory paradigm. Researchers are also increasingly engaging in further studies on the medicinal benefits of cannabis, which is encouraging. Making recommendations about cannabis use is outside the chiropractic scope of practice, but as legalization draws closer, patients will be more open to talking about pot use with their health providers. It’s incumbent upon doctors to start brushing up on this subject. As marijuana gets more accessible, patient education becomes more crucial. Helping patients safely navigate this new paradigm will be mutually beneficial. December 2017 Volume 22, Number 8 EDITOR Mari-Len De Guzman [email protected] (289) 259-1408 PUBLISHER Christine Livingstone [email protected] (519) 429-5173 • (888) 599-2228 ext. 239 ACCOUNT COORDINATOR Shannon Drumm [email protected] (888) 599-2228 ext. 219 MEDIA DESIGNER Brooke Shaw CIRCULATION MANAGER Anita Madden GROUP PUBLISHER Martin McAnulty [email protected] COO Ted Markle [email protected] PRESIDENT & CEO Mike Fredericks Published and printed by Annex Business Media, 105 Donly Drive South, Simcoe, ON, Canada N3Y 4N5 Publication Mail Agreement #40065710 ISSN 1488-6952 CIRCULATION e-mail: [email protected] Tel: (416) 510-5189 Fax: (416) 416-510-6875 (main) 416-510-5133 Mail: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 Canadian Chiropractor is published eight times a year: February, April, May, June, July/August, September, October and December. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada – 1 Year $24.00 (with GST $25.20, with HST/QST $27.12) (HST #867172652RT0001) USA – 1 Year $35.00 (US Funds) Occasionally, Canadian Chiropractor will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2017 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. MARI-LEN DE GUZMAN, Editor EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD @CanChiropractor Victoria Coleman, DC; Connie J. D’Astolfo, DC, Dip HA, PhD (cand); Pierre DesLauriers, DC; James P. Laws, DC, FRCCSS(C)(Hon); David Leprich, DC; Wanda Lee MacPhee, DC; Peter Moore, DC; Don Nixdorf, DC; Renae Rogers, DC; Greg Stewart, BPE, DC 6 Canadian Chiropractor December 2017 www.canadianchiropractor.ca
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