Pubdate: Mon, 19 Sep 2017 Source: Sudbury Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2017 Osprey Media Contact: http://www.thesudburystar.com/letters Website: http://www.thesudburystar.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/608 Author: Ben Leeson Page: A1 POT USE WILL SURGE: POLL More than a third of respondents plan to use legalized marijuana A new study by Sudbury-based researchers has found that 39 per cent, or 11.5 million adult Canadians intend to be cannabis consumers once the federal government's legalization plan becomes a reality. According to a survey of 5,000 randomly selected Canadians, done in partnership between Oraclepoll Research and cannabis marketing consultant Colin Firth, 57 per cent of Canadians support the federal government's plan to legalize marijuana by July 2018. Oraclepoll president Paul Seccaspina said the resulting report, What's the Buzz?, is the most detailed, comprehensive and unbiased consumer market research study performed for the cannabis sector, which addresses a lack of data on the emerging industry. "In this survey, we covered everything from usage, how much you use, potential usage, will people try it, their support for medical marijuana, and a whole range of issues, right down to the retail component and how should it be distributed," Seccaspina told The Sudbury Star. "It's broken down by province and by demographic, so there's a lot of information. "It is an issue that there hasn't been a lot of really in-depth data and research on." The 11.5 million potential consumers exceeds previous projections, according to Oracepoll, and the volume of cannabis needed to supply that demand will be nearly double the mid-range amount predicted by the Parliamentary Budget Office last November. Even a "modest" baseline rate of eight grams per month translates into 1,000,000 kilograms per year - potential boon for Health Canada-licensed producers. While 7.5 million Canadians, or 26 per cent of the population, are admitted cannabis users, What's the Buzz? shows that number could jump by 13 per cent once legalization comes to pass. "I think it's an interesting number that really shows the potential for people to try it at least once or twice," Seccaspina said. Potential usage rates vary by region, with Ontario and British Columbia at the upper end of the scale, and by demographic, with millennials across the country showing higher support for legalization, higher current usage and higher likelihood to use. Other findings in the 60-page report include: 34 per cent of Canadians claim they have a friend or family member that currently use recreational cannabis. 78 per cent of those surveyed are aware that medical marijuana can replace certain types of medication. 24 per cent of current and potential users will replace alcohol with cannabis. 28 per cent have an interest in cannabis edibles, while 60 per cent say they will choose smoking as their preferred method to consume cannabis 77 per cent of current and potential cannabis users said they will purchase cannabis from a licensed grower. 63 per cent of respondents favour the retail model for recreational cannabis purchases, while 30 per cent prefer online shopping. 72 per cent of Canadians believe that the federal government should pardon and eliminate previous and current convictions for simple cannabis possession. Those numbers are of significant interest to Karrie-Ann Jones, a public health nurse with the Sudbury and District Health Unit who leads the Community Drug Strategy, a collaboration between the health unit and Greater Sudbury Police, as well as other key professionals and community leaders. "The first thing that struck me is how they're saying there's a lack of sufficient data for this emerging industry," Jones said. "We know that we're currently in uncharted territory and I know that in our consultation with the ministry, we said that it's really important that we have more investment in research, shortand long-term health impacts of cannabis use, in order to best guide public education and other cannabis policies." The health unit favours using revenue generated from cannabis sales to fund further research and education for point-of-sale staff, health officials and the public. "We know that there are risks associated with using cannabis," Jones said. "They range anywhere from problems with thinking, memory, co-ordination, impaired perception, to fatal and non-fatal injuries. We know there are motor-vehicle accidents due to impairment and we don't have any legislation or information related to that at this time, but we're looking forward to hearing stuff on that." Cannabis usage has also been linked to mental-health problems, chronic lung disease and reproductive issues, she said. "We know there are a lot of risks associated with it, so it's really important to make sure the public is safe and health and they know the risks associated with using cannabis." As with alcohol, the health unit prefers a harm-reduction approach. A set of guidelines for low-risk marijuana use was recently endorsed by the Canadian Public Health Association, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. "The main goal of that policy is to protect public health and public safety, so that's something we're currently promoting," Jones said. "As we get information, we're trying to stay on top of it and to make sure people can make an informed decision." While a majority of respondents in the Oracepoll study favoured local retail as a distribution model, the Ontario government has opted to sell marijuana in 150 government-run stores, with a minimum purchasing age of 19. The plan has been sharply criticized by several cannabis activists and commentators, some of whom believe a tightly controlled system will only contribute to growth in the black market, but Jones said SDHU favours a government-owned, government-controlled distribution model to control availability, accessibility, to provide information on possible side effects and to regulate marketing. While the public may be exposed to strong voices at either end of the legalization debate, either those adamantly opposed to legal cannabis or who believe the government plan is too restrictive, Seccaspina said What's the Buzz? reveals many Canadians have more moderate views on the issue. "I have been to so many town hall forums where on one hand, you get people with pitchforks opposing some project, and on the other hand, you get people who are strong supporters," Seccaspina said. "You can slice off 10, 20 per cent on any issue and the bulk of people are sitting in that 60, 80 per cent in the middle, saying you know what, we'll give it a try, see where it's at, we really don't have an opinion on the issue and we're going to let it play out. This issue of legalization is no different." Download an overview of What's the Buzz? or purchase the full report at http://oraclepoll.com/canadian-cannabis-report/ - --- MAP posted-by: Matt