Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is planning to spend $10 million over five years to research the positive and negative impacts of cannabis on mental health. This is all happening now, two or three months before the legalization of cannabis in Canada.
They will be looking at “The negative impacts of cannabis use on mental health outcomes, the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids, the influence of mental health problems and illnesses on patterns of cannabis use, and the experiences and needs of diverse populations who live with cannabis use disorder and/or a mental illness are not well understood. ”
Canada has one of the highest cannabis consumption rates in the world, with more than 40 per cent of Canadians reporting they had used it at least once in their lifetime. Fifty-four per cent of youth in Canada report using cannabis before grade 12.