Canada's THC unit: Applications for the legal cannabis market.

Cannabis Harm reduction Public health Safety Standard unit THC

Journal

The International journal on drug policy
ISSN: 1873-4758
Titre abrégé: Int J Drug Policy
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 9014759

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
20 May 2024
Historique:
received: 13 02 2024
revised: 06 05 2024
accepted: 07 05 2024
medline: 22 5 2024
pubmed: 22 5 2024
entrez: 21 5 2024
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

The legalization of cannabis in Canada has accelerated the need for a standardized approach to measuring and communicating the amount of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis products. This article offers an overview of the considerations associated with establishing and implementing a standard THC unit in the Canadian context. The article begins by discussing the applications of a standard THC unit, emphasizing its potential use in product labelling, consumer education, and product reporting and surveillance. The article then examines key considerations for identifying what a Canadian THC unit should be set at, specifically within the context of a country with a regulated commercial cannabis market. This is followed by a discussion of additional considerations related to the adoption of a Canadian THC unit, including its use across various product formats and modes of administration. A significant focus of this article is on prioritizing public health and safety and informed decision-making among adult consumers as the legal cannabis market evolves. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as government agencies, industry, and public health professionals, is highlighted as crucial for a successful transition to the use of Canada's THC unit.

Identifiants

pubmed: 38772194
pii: S0955-3959(24)00142-7
doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104457
pii:
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

104457

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Auteurs

Shea Wood (S)

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, 75 Albert St, Suite 500, Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7, Canada. Electronic address: swood@ccsa.ca.

Robert Gabrys (R)

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, 75 Albert St, Suite 500, Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa K1S 5B6, ON, Canada.

Tom Freeman (T)

Addiction and Mental Health Group, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, Canada.

David Hammond (D)

School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.

Classifications MeSH