When Canada legalized cannabis in 2018, the country set a precedent alongside Uruguay. States had been legalizing medical and adult use of cannabis at that time, but federal legalization remains far off. There have been many positives for the country post-legalization, like access to consumer and industry data at the federal level.
RELATED: How to stay safe when smoking pot this summer
Last week, Canada released information on adverse pot reactions from over the previous few years. The 2021 and 2022 reports were built from data collected through the Canada Vigilance Program, a Health Canada surveillance program to measure negative experiences to all health products. This data has limitations, but surprising results serve as a guiding light for regulators in new territory.
Canadian data reveals adverse cannabis reactions
Health Canada gathers this data to track issues with medications and supplements before they become a public health issue. Hospitals, consumers, medical cannabis clinics, health care practitioners, and retailers voluntarily report these adverse cannabis reactions to Health Canada. Because of this, these results cannot be considered a comprehensive look.
Many might opt out of reporting their experiences. Analysts believe that medical cannabis patients and practitioners are most likely to report these issues over adult-use dispensaries and even hospitals.
Limitations aside, the data provides insight into a growing legal market. Reported negative cannabis experiences trended down from 2021 to 2022. 260 issues were logged in the 2021 report, shrinking to only 159 by 2022.
RELATED: I tried this cannabis skincare line, the results are worth sharing
Hallucinations were most common in 2021, followed by nausea, headache, dizziness, and throat soreness. Headache was the most common adverse reaction in 2022, along with seizures, or alternatively, the product had no effect.
Tracking where cannabis came from pinpoints whether homegrow or regulated brands need tightening up. 69 percent of weed that caused adverse reactions came from the legal market in 2021, the rest was grown at home. One year later, 60 percent of reports resulted from regulated products. A majority of reports during this time were from medical patients, not recreational users.
How useful is this data?
With cannabis being a newer enterprise, new laws and regulations may be added frequently to ensure that the industry is running smoothly and the general public is safe. This data helps regulators key in on where rules or guidance are needed.
Though the latest adverse reaction data from Health Canada is limited, it has value. Fewer people and practitioners felt inclined to report weed issues, which may mean that experiences were less severe. As the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) ponders rescheduling to the south, data like this from Health Canada can serve as a positive example for the plant.
