Latest news with #DanielMyran
Canada Standard
09-07-2025
- Health
- Canada Standard
Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis
Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, it was unclear how the change might affect beverage alcohol consumption. Would consumers drink less or more after cannabis became legal? Drinking might decrease, for example, if people used cannabis in place of alcohol. That switch potentially could reduce alcohol-related harms. But economically, it would mean any gains in the cannabis industry would likely come at the expense of alcohol producers. Conversely, drinking might increase if people used alcohol along with cannabis. That could boost alcohol industry profits and government tax revenues, but at the cost of increased health risks of both substances. In response to this uncertainty, some businesses diversified. One alcohol producer bought a cannabis grower, while a cannabis firm took took over several beer brewers. Research from the United States into the relationship between alcohol and cannabis use is inconclusive. Some studies report that alcohol use decreased in states that allowed cannabis, while others said usage increased or didn't significantly change. Those conflicting conclusions might reflect the complex legal situation in the United States, where cannabis remains illegal under federal law, even in states that allow its use. In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization? To investigate this question, I first collaborated with health science researchers Daniel Myran, Robert Talarico, Jennifer Xiao and Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin to study Canada's overall alcohol sales. We started our research by examining annual alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022. During that period, beer sales gradually fell, while the sale of coolers and other drinks steadily rose. That left total sales basically unchanged. So consumers were apparently switching from beer to other beverages. But there were no obvious effects from 2018's cannabis legalization. We also compared monthly sales during the 12 months before legalization versus the 12 after. This included national average sales by liquor retailers and beer producers. In both cases, sales trends showed no significant changes in October 2018. However, this research on Canada-wide sales was mainly designed to detect large changes. To find subtler ones, I focused on the province of Nova Scotia. When Canada legalized cannabis, most provinces banned liquor stores from selling it to avoid tempting alcohol drinkers into trying cannabis. Nova Scotia did the opposite. Its government-owned liquor corporation became the main cannabis retailer. After legalization in October 2018, most provincial liquor stores kept selling only alcohol, but some began selling cannabis as well. This unique situation prompted me to study the province's sales. I focused on the 17 months before and 17 months after legalization. The corporation's total alcohol sales initially fell in October 2018, then slowly regrew. As a result, monthly sales after legalization averaged about $500,000 below their earlier levels. More interestingly, the changes differed between the cannabis-selling stores and the alcohol-only ones. At the alcohol-only stores, sales immediately fell. They averaged $800,000 below previous levels. But at cannabis-sellers, alcohol sales began growing. Total monthly sales from October 2018 to February 2020 averaged $300,000 above earlier levels. The divergence in sales was larger for beers than for spirits or wines. Interestingly, alcohol-only stores located near cannabis-selling stores had changes similar to those located farther away, suggesting that cannabis-seller proximity didn't matter. My data can't say why the sales split occurred, but I can speculate. Consider the immediate sales drop at alcohol-only stores - this could suggest some consumers switched from alcohol to cannabis right after legalization. Meanwhile, the lack of a drop at cannabis sellers might mean some consumers simply changed where they shopped. Instead of visiting their local alcohol-only retailer, they went to cannabis sellers to shop for alcohol and cannabis together. The cannabis sellers' ongoing growth might reflect people increasingly buying cannabis from licensed stores instead of illegal dealers. They went to those stores to buy weed, but picked up some extra booze while they were there. My research so far has focused on the initial post-legalization period, from October 2018 to February 2020. I plan to study later periods next, when cannabis retailing was more widespread and perhaps more influential. That will be more challenging, however, because COVID-19 arrived in March 2020. The pandemic disrupted sales of alcohol, though not of cannabis. It will be tricky to separate cannabis effects from pandemic ones, or from Canadian consumers' evolving drinking habits in general. My guess is that cannabis legalization had little short-term impact on existing drinkers overall. Most Canadians didn't suddenly consume cannabis with their cabernet or replace vodka with vapes. Instead, we might see gradual long-term shifts. Young Canadians now reach legal age in a context where cannabis and alcohol are both allowed. Some folks who previously would have started drinking alcohol might now choose cannabis instead, or in addition. For now, alcohol drinking is still three times more common than cannabis use. Whether that continues, only time will tell.
Canada News.Net
08-07-2025
- Health
- Canada News.Net
Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis
Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, it was unclear how the change might affect beverage alcohol consumption. Would consumers drink less or more after cannabis became legal? Drinking might decrease, for example, if people used cannabis in place of alcohol. That switch potentially could reduce alcohol-related harms. But economically, it would mean any gains in the cannabis industry would likely come at the expense of alcohol producers. Conversely, drinking might increase if people used alcohol along with cannabis. That could boost alcohol industry profits and government tax revenues, but at the cost of increased health risks of both substances. In response to this uncertainty, some businesses diversified. One alcohol producer bought a cannabis grower, while a cannabis firm took took over several beer brewers. Research from the United States into the relationship between alcohol and cannabis use is inconclusive. Some studies report that alcohol use decreased in states that allowed cannabis, while others said usage increased or didn't significantly change. Those conflicting conclusions might reflect the complex legal situation in the United States, where cannabis remains illegal under federal law, even in states that allow its use. In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization? To investigate this question, I first collaborated with health science researchers Daniel Myran, Robert Talarico, Jennifer Xiao and Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin to study Canada's overall alcohol sales. We started our research by examining annual alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022. During that period, beer sales gradually fell, while the sale of coolers and other drinks steadily rose. That left total sales basically unchanged. So consumers were apparently switching from beer to other beverages. But there were no obvious effects from 2018's cannabis legalization. We also compared monthly sales during the 12 months before legalization versus the 12 after. This included national average sales by liquor retailers and beer producers. In both cases, sales trends showed no significant changes in October 2018. However, this research on Canada-wide sales was mainly designed to detect large changes. To find subtler ones, I focused on the province of Nova Scotia. When Canada legalized cannabis, most provinces banned liquor stores from selling it to avoid tempting alcohol drinkers into trying cannabis. Nova Scotia did the opposite. Its government-owned liquor corporation became the main cannabis retailer. After legalization in October 2018, most provincial liquor stores kept selling only alcohol, but some began selling cannabis as well. This unique situation prompted me to study the province's sales. I focused on the 17 months before and 17 months after legalization. The corporation's total alcohol sales initially fell in October 2018, then slowly regrew. As a result, monthly sales after legalization averaged about $500,000 below their earlier levels. More interestingly, the changes differed between the cannabis-selling stores and the alcohol-only ones. At the alcohol-only stores, sales immediately fell. They averaged $800,000 below previous levels. But at cannabis-sellers, alcohol sales began growing. Total monthly sales from October 2018 to February 2020 averaged $300,000 above earlier levels. The divergence in sales was larger for beers than for spirits or wines. Interestingly, alcohol-only stores located near cannabis-selling stores had changes similar to those located farther away, suggesting that cannabis-seller proximity didn't matter. My data can't say why the sales split occurred, but I can speculate. Consider the immediate sales drop at alcohol-only stores - this could suggest some consumers switched from alcohol to cannabis right after legalization. Meanwhile, the lack of a drop at cannabis sellers might mean some consumers simply changed where they shopped. Instead of visiting their local alcohol-only retailer, they went to cannabis sellers to shop for alcohol and cannabis together. The cannabis sellers' ongoing growth might reflect people increasingly buying cannabis from licensed stores instead of illegal dealers. They went to those stores to buy weed, but picked up some extra booze while they were there. My research so far has focused on the initial post-legalization period, from October 2018 to February 2020. I plan to study later periods next, when cannabis retailing and perhaps more influential. That will be more challenging, however, because COVID-19 arrived in March 2020. The pandemic disrupted sales of alcohol, though not of cannabis. It will be tricky to separate cannabis effects from pandemic ones, or from Canadian consumers' evolving drinking habits in general. My guess is that cannabis legalization had little short-term impact on existing drinkers overall. Most Canadians didn't suddenly consume cannabis with their cabernet or replace vodka with vapes. Instead, we might see gradual long-term shifts. Young Canadians now reach legal age in a context where cannabis and alcohol are both allowed. Some folks who previously would have started drinking alcohol might now choose cannabis instead, or in addition.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Hospital visits for Marijuana use linked to 72% higher dementia risk, major study warns
Marijuana's potential medicinal benefits have shifted public perception of the psychoactive drug derived from the Cannabis plant, contributing to its growing popularity. Countries like Canada, Uruguay, Mexico and Thailand, and 22 states in the US have legalized recreational marijuana, while 50 countries have approved it for medicinal purposes. However, one cannot ignore that its regular use has been associated with a heightened risk of a range of life-threatening conditions like strokes, heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure and myocarditis. 4/20 day, celebrated every year on April 20, by weed lovers, brought the drug into the spotlight, sparking discussions on its growing popularity as well as risks. A new study published in the journal JAMA Neurology that links an increased risk of dementia to cannabis use is especially crucial in this regard. The terms cannabis and marijuana are often used interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same. While cannabis refers to the plant Cannabis sativa, marijuana is one of the products derived from this plant that has a high concentration of THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid. Dementia and Marijuana connection The connection between long-term cannabis and dementia isn't new and has been demonstrated in the previous studies. An American Journal of Psychiatry study discusses how cannabis use over a long period of time is linked to hippocampal atrophy and poorer cognitive function in midlife, which are known risk factors for dementia. The new study delves into the five-year cognitive impact of cannabis-related medical emergencies, revealing a significant association between such events and an elevated risk of developing dementia. 'Someone who has an emergency room visit or hospitalization due to cannabis has a 23% increased risk of dementia within five years compared to someone who was at the hospital for another reason. They have a 72% greater risk compared to the general population,' says study coauthor Dr Daniel Myran, an assistant professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Ottawa in Canada. 'Those numbers have already factored out other reasons for dementia, such as age, sex, mental health or substance use, and whether or not you have chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease,' Myran added. Earlier research shows marijuana users are nearly 25% more likely to need emergency care and hospitalization than nonusers. 'However, this is not a study that anyone should look at and say, 'Jury's in, and cannabis use causes dementia,'' Myran said. 'This is a study that brings up a concerning association that fits within a growing body of research.' While medical marijuana is considered to be safe in limited doses under expert supervision, it is more complicated than that. Many people with cannabis use disorder are not able to stop using it and that's where the real problem lies. US federal law doesn't allow the use of marijuana. However, many states allow medical use to treat pain, nausea and other symptoms. The THC in marijuana affects the brain, mood, behavior and thoughts, the reason why it is called psychoactive. Medicinal marijuana can be advised for conditions like Alzheimer's disease, HIV/AIDS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Epilepsy, and serious nausea or vomiting caused by cancer treatment. However, are its side effects worth it? Let's understand. What's cannabis use disorder? Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD), a medically recognized condition is marked by a problematic and often compulsive pattern of marijuana use. Its severity can vary from mild habits that interfere with daily life to full-blown addiction. Marijuana is part of cannabis, but not all cannabis is marijuana. Cannabis use disorder mainly involves THC-containing substances such as marijuana. Addiction to marijuana could happen when the brain's reward system takes over and amplifies compulsive marijuana-seeking. People with cannabis use disorder are unable to stop using even though they encounter health or social problems from use, Dr. Robert Page II, a professor of clinical pharmacy and physical medicine at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Aurora told CNN. 'When they stop using it, they either have withdrawal symptoms or have very bad mental health symptoms,' he added. 'They might have quite severe depression, or they might have anxiety, all of which can send them to the hospital.' According to the CDC, around 30% of people can get addicted to marijuana. This can pose risk of attention, memory and learning problems, as per CDC. What you need to know about marijuana's safety 'The other takeaway from this study is that many people believe marijuana to be natural and therefore safe,' Page said. 'It is a psychotropic medication, so it's going to have psychotropic effects. If you have underlying psychiatric issues, realize that you need to be transparent with your provider and let them know if you're using this medically or recreationally.' According to mayoclinic, the other side effects of medical marijuana include increased heart rate, dizziness, problems with thinking and memory, slower reaction times, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, panic attacks, and hallucinations, among others. Rastafari community of Antigua gain sacramental rights to marijuana
CBC
03-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Use of psychedelics is on the rise in Canada. Doctors are starting to look at long-term risks, benefits
WARNING: This story mentions suicide. People who take prohibited psychedelics such as psilocybin or LSD and go to the emergency department for care show a higher risk of death within five years compared with Canada's general population, a new study suggests. Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs. In the last 10 years, use of drugs such as ketamine, psilocybin, ayahuasca, and MDMA or ecstasy increased in Canada and the United States. In the U.S., the percentage of people reporting they used hallucinogens more than doubled from 3.8 per cent in 2016 to 8.9 per cent in 2021. Use varies widely, from microdosing psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms as part of supervised treatment, to recreational use of the illegal substances. Dr. Daniel Myran, a family physician and researcher at the University of Ottawa, recognized that in Canada, an estimated 5.9 per cent of people used a psychedelic such as psilocybin in 2023, with use as high as 13.9 per cent in people aged 20–24. It's a trend he sees among his own patients. In Monday's issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Myran and his team start to look at the potential long-term effects of using hallucinogens, specifically risk of death. WATCH | Psilocybin research in Canada: Could magic mushrooms be the future of mental health treatment? 2 years ago Duration 10:12 A handful of Canadians have legally used magic mushrooms, or psilocybin, to treat mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression and cope with dying. Advocates say it could revolutionize mental health treatment, but researchers want to find out whether a psychedelic trip is needed to see benefits from the treatment. "We have a huge amount of hype and buzz about psychedelic-assisted therapy," Myran said. In psychedelic-assisted therapy, psychedelics such as psilocybin are combined with psychotherapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression. When Myran asks people in his practice why they're interested in psychedelics, some have the notion it'll help their mental health and that there aren't a lot of risks — but there's no clear proof that's the case, he says, given clinical trials exclude individuals who may be at higher risk of poor outcomes. "I think that we just don't have that degree of data or certainty." Study looked at ER trips, hospitalizations To better understand if there is an association between misuse of hallucinogens and increased risk of death, researchers looked at the subset of users who had interacted with the medical system, using health care data held by ICES, Ontario's health research institute. They examined emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and outpatient physician visits for more than 11.4 million people in Ontario aged 15 to 105. Of the total group, 7,954, or less than one tenth of a per cent, sought acute care for hallucinogen use. The people who used hallucinogens and went to emergency were having bad reactions like uncomfortable hallucinations or a severe anxiety attack. "They are a group that's at really high risk and they probably merit close observation, interventions and thoughts about what can you do to reduce the risk," said Myron, who is also a public health and preventive medicine researcher with ICES. Within five years, 482 (6.1 per cent) of people seeking acute care involving hallucinogens died, compared with 460 (0.6 per cent) of those in the general population of the same age and sex, the researchers reported. It's important to note, Myron said, that pattern doesn't tell us anything about cause and effect — and whether hallucinogens played a role in the deaths. But when the researchers looked at causes of death for some hints, they found associations with suicide, other drug poisonings, lung disease and cancer, which Myron said probably reflects higher rates of smoking among those using hallucinogens. "Features like suicide make me much more worried about is this capturing some element of hallucinogens?" said Myron, given self harm was one of the elevated causes of death observed in the study. The study had some limitations. The researchers didn't know what kind of hallucinogen people were taking or how they took it. People who are in the emergency department or hospitalized because of hallucinogen use also tend to have chronic health conditions such as asthma, high blood pressure and emergency department visits for depression, compared with the general population. They're also more likely to have received care for substance use problems, the researchers said. "The findings highlight the need for ongoing investigation and dissemination of both potential benefits and risks from hallucinogen use, particularly for use outside clinical trial settings, given rapid increases in general population use," the study's authors wrote. Medical supervision urged Dr. Jennifer Swainson, an associate clinical professor at the University of Alberta and a psychiatrist at the Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton, prescribes and studies ketamine for treatment-resistant depression as part of clinical trials. To put the Ontario findings in context, Swainson compared the 7,000 hospital visits reported among hallucinogen users in the study to the almost 400,000 for alcohol and more than 70,000 each for opioids and stimulants such as methamphetamine. "I think what the public needs to take away is that if these drugs are abused or misused outside of proper medical supervision, there are risks associated with them, but also not to overcall it," said Swainson, who was not involved in the CMAJ study. WATCH | Psilocybin plus therapy: University of Calgary to study how psilocybin can help people with alcohol use disorders 12 months ago Duration 4:36 Researchers at the University of Calgary are looking at how psilocybin can be used to treat alcoholism. The Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the university is calling it the largest single-site clinical trial of its kind in Canada. More than 120 people are being recruited for the study that could last years. Along with the drug, the research will use therapy to treat patients. Rob Brown discussed the study with its lead researcher and neuroscientist at the University, Leah Mayo. These drugs affect the brain, Swainson said, and the effects will differ depending on a person's underlying mental health and family history of psychosis or risks related to substance use. There are also different categories of use, several physicians said. If someone is prescribed ketamine by their physician for their depression or PTSD and they're having follow ups with a doctor, those aren't the ones who have the higher risk of death identified in the study, she said. Swainson said there's a large movement of underground use of hallucinogens, both recreationally and "in pseudo-therapeutic settings," where an individual guides others on different psychedelic experiences under the premise that it will be therapeutic. Swainson is working with psychedelic health researchers in Kingston, Ont., to look at what measures should be in place in clinical trials to look at potential abuse liability risks.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Marijuana addiction increases risk for premature death, Canadian study finds
NEW YORK, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- People who need emergency care or hospitalization for cannabis use disorder are at an elevated risk of premature death within five years, a new Canadian study suggests. The study was published Thursday in JAMA Network Open. Significant increases in regular marijuana use and products' strength underscore the importance of recognizing cannabis use disorder as a public health concern. This issue is particularly worrisome in young segments of the population amid growing interest in legalizing marijuana and marketing it commercially, the researchers noted. "Cannabis use -- and the number of people with a cannabis use disorder -- is rapidly increasing globally, and more people now use cannabis daily than consume alcohol daily in Canada and the United States," the study's lead author, Dr. Daniel Myran, told UPI. Despite these trends, "We know very little about whether or not having a cannabis use disorder increases the risk of death," said Myran, the Canada research chair of social accountability at the University of Ottawa in Ontario. Myran and his colleagues studied 11.6 million people for a median period of five years. They ranged in age from 15 to 105 years and lived in Ontario between 2006 and 2021. Researchers found that those who received hospital-based care for the disorder were at six times the risk of death within five years compared to someone the same age in the general population. After the researchers accounted for co-morbid health conditions, these people remained at almost three times the risk of death by suicide, trauma, drug poisoning and lung cancer. The researchers also compared the risk of death in people with a cannabis use disorder to those with an alcohol use disorder. And while they found that those with alcohol use disorders had a greater risk, it wasn't much higher. "Large segments of the public do not perceive cannabis to have major health risks," said Myran, who also is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Ottawa and a scientist at the Bruyère Health Research Institute, ICES and the Ottawa Hospital. Changing this mindset would require comprehensive efforts to prevent the development of cannabis use disorders along with more treatment and support options for people with addiction. "The findings highlight that lawmakers and policymakers need to be very cautious about how cannabis policy is implemented to ensure that it does not result in large increases in use," Myran said. This study wasn't designed to determine if cannabis use disorder itself causes death. Continuing research is necessary "to tease out the degree that the findings are a function of cannabis use or from other lifestyle and medical factors like a higher rate of tobacco use," he said. Nonetheless, Myran noted that the findings identify a very high risk group of people who most likely would benefit from further medical care and intervention. Other experts commended the researchers for raising awareness of cannabis' habit-forming nature and the heightened risk of death. "There is a growing public health threat with cannabis use," said Dr. Laura Jean Bierut, lead author of an editorial accompanying the study and an alumni endowed professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Cannabis use is addictive -- similarly as alcohol," Bierut said. "Some can use it with no difficulty and others will develop addiction. Don't let anyone tell you that cannabis is not addictive." As cannabis use surges and an increased risk of death is linked to this disorder, particularly in younger populations, she added, "It is important that we recognize this science and begin to act on this public health issue." Cannabis' legalization has led to some misconceptions about its safety, said Dr. Leigh Vinocur, a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians. However, "this study is about problematic, addictive cannabis use -- those most severely afflicted," Vinocur said. "So, there's a public health message, but you can't generalize this to everybody who's using cannabis." After practicing emergency medicine for more than 30 years, she earned a master's degree in medical cannabis science and therapeutics at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and opened an integrative health practice in Baltimore County. "I've seen the benefits of medical cannabis when used properly with the guidance of a physician for certain medical conditions," such as chronic pain, Vinocur said, cautioning that "there is no medication or substance that's completely safe, especially when used improperly."
