Medical specialists are very concerned about the upcoming legalization of cannabis, and they urge the federal and Quebec governments to tighten regulations to ensure that this policy does not have a negative impact on public health.

The Quebec Federation of Medical Specialists (QFMS) brief on public consultations on cannabis fraud reports on the serious concerns that doctors have about the legalization of marijuana, scheduled for 2018 a deadline that comes a long way too fast, depending on the grouping.

A survey of its members last June revealed that over 84 per cent of them believe that legalization could become a public health problem. Just over 75 per cent believe that this could increase the cost of care in Quebec.

Doctors fear among other things that legalization increases cases of lung cancer, asthma and pregnancy at risk.

The QFMS is also concerned about the effects of the policy on young people, who according to a study by the Quebec Institute of Statistics were numerous to have used this drug even when it was illegal.

The medical union therefore recommends that Quebec and Ottawa tighten regulations on cannabis.

In particular, it suggests that cannabis should be subject to the same legislative and regulatory framework as for tobacco, that the minimum age for obtaining the product should be set at 21 years of age, and that it regulate and control the level of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the ingredient of cannabis).

He also asked the government to review the definition of "youth" in the bill, which would currently allow individuals under the age of 18 to own five grams of marijuana. According to the QFMS, it would be "unacceptable" for young people under 18 to be granted this permission.

The QFMS also urges the government to invest the revenues generated by a possible sales tax in the prevention and in the hiring of more social workers.

According to the organization, the government should also conduct new studies, particularly on the use of cannabis by young people and measure the long-term effect of legalization. The QFMS can not insist too much on the need to have a genuine integrated prevention policy that would make it possible to act positively on all the determinants of health.

The prevalence of chronic diseases that are preventable generates significant costs for society. By itself, tobacco use, to which not only thousands of deaths are attributed each year, but also a significant proportion of these chronic diseases, generates expenditures that are not offset by tax revenues.

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