The Importance of Consumption Rooms – Cannabis | weed | marijuana

According to a case study published in Contemporary Drug Problems, Canadian federal and many provincial governments have neglected the importance of cannabis consumption rooms.

The authors examined the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club (VCBC), specifically the area of ​​consumption known as “The Box”. The study found numerous benefits of a smoking lounge for medicinal cannabis.

Benefits that have been either ignored or glossed over by policymakers and certain public health actors.

Rather than getting praise for its community-centric cannabis model, regime enforcers continue to target and raid Canada’s last remaining compassion club.

As a result, VCBC’s consumption lounge is no longer available following a location change last February.

Hopefully this study ends up on the desk of some influential bureaucrat. Because of the importance of cannabis use, the realms go beyond convenience and health. It’s about safety and patient rights.

The importance of consumption rooms

“Smoking remains the preferred mode of consumption for people taking medication for chronic diseases or chronic symptoms,” said Dr. Gagnon, lead author of the study, over the phone to CLN. “That’s why it’s incredibly important for them to have a place to smoke.”

The case study examines how community-based cannabis clubs like the VCBC provide low-income individuals with a safe place to use. Often these people live in apartments or apartments where smoking is prohibited.

Research suggests that cannabis use spaces are essential for public health, harm reduction and well-being. dr Gagnon and the other authors emphasize the need for fair and inclusive approaches.

While traditional approaches view smoking as unsafe, Dr. Gagnon safety broadly defined. She says there is a risk of eviction, “even if the doctor’s approval is in place and all the paperwork is in order,” a patient using medicinal cannabis may still not have a place to consume.

“That’s the kind of security I wanted to include as well, because it’s very important to people,” says Dr. Gagnon.

Like the people behind the VCBC, Dr. Gagnon has so far been less enthusiastic about the legalization efforts. She criticizes the focus on recreational markets, which have more or less failed patients with medical cannabis.

“All the places that people used to go like pharmacies, compassion clubs and bars have all been closed,” she says. “So there was a kind of erasure of what used to be very well established and self-regulated access points with consumption rooms.”

Cannabis smoke vs tobacco smoke

Why have health authorities ignored the importance of cannabis consumption rooms? according to dr It’s because Gagnon don’t like smoke.

“The moment when it comes to smoke, it’s about getting people to stop smoking. But I truly believe that if we look more closely from a harm reduction and public health perspective, there are some serious benefits to this population that we simply cannot ignore.”

VCBC founder Ted Smith agrees. The importance of cannabis consumption rooms is priceless.

“We have a lot of discussions about this among politicians and other people,” he told CLN. “Ultimately, however, the health authorities are making no headway in terms of public consumption of cannabis.”

Though it’s an uphill battle, Dr. Gagnon that we can reverse course. There are harm reduction strategies for safe crack smoking and safe injections.

dr Gagnon envisions “best practices for designing safer inhalation spaces that are good for staff.” She points to examples in Europe and legal US states, where many jurisdictions are making legalization efforts to avoid undermining existing medical systems.

But in Canada? Our health authorities are ignoring the importance of cannabis consumption rooms. “I think that’s very ideological,” says Dr. Gagnon. “I think in their mind all they think about is tobacco. So they’re taking that approach to cannabis.”

“I think we’re seeing the impact now,” says Dr. Gagnon. “And this is where I think governments are really failing.”

The importance of consumption rooms

Governments don’t have to choose between profitable “civic” cannabis consumption lounges and important community-based medical cannabis consumption spaces.

That’s the false dichotomy they give themselves.

while dr Gagnon and others were working on this paper, the British Columbia government conducted its own internal review of consumption rooms.

The British Columbia government is considering a commercial model. A model, says Dr. Gagnon, which is aimed at “middle-class homeowners” rather than the poor and marginalized.

“I think that’s a good example that the majority of the people that are going to be very negatively and disproportionately affected by this are going to be renters and people at risk of addiction will be precariously housed.” And so, again, there’s a total disconnect of who the government wants to allow.”

Ted Smith puts it more clearly.

“You know, I think doctors feel really stupid because tobacco was recommended to them once. … And now to have to admit that they were wrong all along, I think that’s really hard for them.”

“The biggest hurdle we have in medical use and public consumption is these conservative doctors who, for their own good, stop us from using in public.” They kind of think the public can’t think rationally, and they need all these rules and prohibitions to keep us from harming ourselves.”

Suppose we judged the governments of British Columbia and Canada by their actions. We would have to conclude that the importance of cannabis consumption rooms depends on who uses them.

People with low income and health problems? Ambush them, take them out, tag them as criminals and send the patients to the nearest pharmacy.

Middle class people with credit cards? This way, sir, your taxable cannabis and cannabis lounge await.

The Victoria Cannabis Buyers’ Club is located at 1625 Quadra St, Victoria, BC