As a consequence of the pandemic and these physical distancing restrictions, cannabis use may have increased due to additional stress and anxiety about the future, social isolation and loneliness, and changes in daily routines due to closures of nonessential workplaces.7 Indeed, cannabis use increased among those who used cannabis during the implementation of physical distancing restrictions in the European Union.8,9 There are indications that similar changes have occurred in Canada as well. An online survey conducted between March and April 2020 in Canada found that cannabis use increased among the overall population by 7%, with this increase most prominent in the younger age groups.10 Data on cannabis retail sales are consistent with these findings, as average monthly retail sales climbed from $151 million between December 2019 and February 2020 to $187 million between March and June 2020 in Canada.11 Despite these observations noted at the outset of the pandemic, patterns and risk characteristics associated with cannabis use, especially increase in cannabis use, during the pandemic are unclear. Understanding cannabis use during the pandemic is imperative for clinical practitioners and public health authorities in Canada.
Cannabis use in the overall population during the months of May and June of the pandemic remained unchanged. It is difficult to gauge the impacts of the pandemic on cannabis use in the overall population, given the present surveys were not representative and the potential confounding due to recent legalization of recreational cannabis use in Canada. About half of those who used cannabis increased cannabis use compared to before the start of the pandemic. This finding is consistent with the assessment of the number of days of cannabis use among those who used cannabis. According to an annual, representative survey of those 16 years and older across all provinces and territories in Canada, 32% of those who used cannabis during the past month reported daily or near daily use between April and June 2019.13 The analogous estimate amounted to 43% of those who used cannabis during the past week from all of the three survey waves combined, even though the present measurement timeframe was comparatively smaller in duration. Indeed, cannabis use among the overall population increased by 7%, as measured by a representative, online survey of those 15 years and older across provinces in Canada that was conducted between March 29 and April 03, 2020.10 Similar findings have also been observed elsewhere among those who used cannabis. About one third of those who used cannabis increased cannabis use during the physical distancing restrictions in France, as determined by a nonrepresentative, online survey of those 16 years and older that was conducted between March 25 and March 30, 2020.8 In a similar manner, based on assessments of those who used cannabis in an online, nonrepresentative survey conducted between April 08 and May 25, 2020 in the European Union, 23% increased frequency of cannabis use and 10% increased quantity of cannabis use during the physical distancing restrictions.9 Importantly, the increases in frequency of cannabis use and quantity of cannabis use were more pronounced among those who used cannabis regularly rather than occasionally in the European Union.9 Unfortunately, the present measurements did not allow for such distinctions. However, cannabis use should be explored further in detail, including comprehensive assessments of motivations of consumption, consumption patterns and behaviors (history of use, frequency per day, quantity per occasion, modes of administration, types of products, poly substance use), health outcomes and consequences (cannabis use disorder, attributable health problems, impaired driving) and treatment-seeking behaviors.
Cannabis events in Alberta for February 2020
April 20 has become an international counterculture holiday based on the celebration and consumption of cannabis.[3][21][22] Events typically advocate for cannabis liberalization and legalization. Vivian McPeak, a founder of Seattle's Hempfest states that 4/20 is "half celebration and half call to action".[23] Paul Birch calls it a global movement and suggests that one cannot stop events like these.[24]
In the 2020 elections, South Dakota voters passed Constitutional Amendment A (54%). Quickly after the amendment passed, it was challenged in court. On Feb. 8, 2021 Circuit Judge Christina Klinger ruled that the measure was unconstitutional. The map below summarizes cannabis policy throughout the states as of June 2021.
In 2020, Virginia adopted SJR 67 - having Virginia begin it's journey to join the other states in legalizing cannabis for recreational use. The resolution begins a study requiring recommendations for implementing legalization by July 1, 2022.
Spannabis: Postponed. The immensely popular annual cannabis festival, held every spring in Barcelona, Spain, has been postponed until autumn 2020. The event was originally to have taken place March 13-15.
The International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) is organized by global cannabis industry and policy experts that possess decades of experience in the cannabis space. ICBC events are attended by international cannabis entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and industry service providers from over 80 nations. The conference series is the perfect opportunity for people that are serious about succeeding in the next great global industry and want to network with leaders from every major cannabis market on the planet.
Our study considers three distinct time periods related to cannabis policy in Ontario, including 1) the pre-legalization period (October 2015-October 2018), 2) Phase 1 of legalization (October 2018-February 2020) which marked the beginning of online flower and herb sales alongside limited physical retail locations, and 3) Phase 2 (March 2020-June 2021) saw the removal of the retail cap and increased edible cannabis availability. These cutoff dates were used in a prior study estimating the impact of legalization and commercialization on cannabis-related ED visits in the Ontario population [9]. Following recommendations from the prior study, healthcare visits in March and April 2020 were censored to account for large decreases in health-seeking behaviors (including ED visits) associated with the early stages of COVID-19 pandemic.
We used an interrupted time-series with single-group, multiple-interventions design to examine the immediate and month-to-month changes associated with cannabis-related policies on cannabis-related ED visits for each age and gender group in Ontario (both North and South), Southern, and Northern Ontario. We conducted segmented regressions using the negative binomial function to estimate the incidence rate ratio while adjusting for overdispersion (i.e. extra-Poisson variation). We estimated models for each age group (18 to 24, 25 to 44, 45 to 64, and 65+) and gender separately, given prior research finding age and gender differences in the patterns of cannabis use [25]. We adjusted for the length of the month and for any seasonal effect [26]. We conducted two sensitivity analyses: 1) to examine whether the results were robust regardless of the functional form and address possible residual autocorrelation in a time-series dataset, the Prais-Winsten regressions following a first-order autoregressive process were performed [27], and 2) we included the months March and April 2020 in an alternative specification of the models, and used an indicator variable for both months as an adjustment to confirm whether the estimates were robust.
Three provinces that legalized cannabis edibles in early 2020 saw an increase in accidental cannabis poisonings among children aged 0-9 that was more than double that of Quebec, where edibles are prohibited, according to a new Canadian study.
In 2019, as part of an update to the Cannabis Act, manufacturers were able to apply to become licensed to sell cannabis edibles, which hit shelves in 2020 within provinces that chose to permit their sale.
Researchers started with January 2015 to September 2018, before any cannabis had been legalized, then looked at the first period of legalization from October 2018 to December 2019. Finally, they looked at January 2020 through September 2021, when edibles had become legal in Alberta, Ontario and B.C. and were prohibited in Quebec.
The first cannabis event organizers had to be brave people who risked jail time for organizing a completely illegal event. The events were rebellious, the participants daring, and many of them did get arrested.
But with the first instances of marijuana decriminalization in North America, cannabis events became better organized, attracting more visitors and continuing to send the message about the injustice of cannabis prohibition.
2019 has been very successful year for the global cannabis industry. Many cannabis events took place this year, offering a glimpse of what we can expect in the following year. 2020 will be another active year for cannabis events around the world.
CanadaTech Davos 2020 will highlight the economic role of cannabis in the future of healthcare, international trade and investment, environmental and resource security. The event will showcase leading thinkers and influencers from across the globe and present the most relevant conversations industry wide. It will feature dynamic presentations that focus on science, research, finance, medicine, tech, agriculture, innovation and government policy.
Vascepa (icosapent ethyl) is indicated in combination with statin therapies to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. Vascepa offers a new treatment option for patients with the active ingredient being a purified synthetic derivative of omega-3. Vascepa was marketed in Canada in February 2020 after undergoing priority review with Health Canada. While current add-on therapies to statin treatments are less than $1,000 annually, the cost of Vascepa is $3,600 per year. 2ff7e9595c
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