“By normalizing cannabis use and making it more accessible, aspects of legalization are considered to have contributed to inducing consumption among youth,” said a report based on research contracted by the Department of Health, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
“Youth report cannabis consumption begins as early as 13 or 14,” it continued. “Introduction to cannabis is typically positioned as harmless and enjoyable and considered a recreational activity.”
The report, titled “Youth Perspectives and Experiences With Cannabis Since the Start of Legalization,” also said marijuana was “readily identified by youth 15 to 17 as a coping mechanism predominantly for mental health problems.”
Researchers listed anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, sleep disorders, and lack of appetite as some examples of these mental health issues.
The report also said marijuana’s legalization in 2018 has “normalized and somewhat legitimized cannabis use, suggesting to youth it may be less harmful than some other substances.”
Researchers also noted that Canada’s cannabis consumption by youth and young adults is “one of the highest in the world.”
‘Significant Health Risk During Adolescence’
“There is evidence that cannabis use poses a significant health risk during adolescence, in particular interfering with brain development,” said the report.However, the researchers wrote that most of the teenagers they surveyed were convinced consuming cannabis had “positive health implications, notably dealing with anxiety and stress, coping with depression, helping to sleep or eat, assisting with social interaction, dealing with problems at home, coping with isolation, easing pain and providing an escape from undesirable realities.”
The researchers gathered their evidence from focus group interviews with 15- to 17-year-olds across the country.