A look at the packaging on a cannabis chocolate bar in New Brunswick. (Danielle McCreadie)
Edible cannabis is now being sold in stores across the country, and health officials are offering tips on how to use the products safely.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell says your body absorbs cannabis slower when ingested versus inhaling, so be patient and don’t over-do it.
“Start with small amounts, 2.5 mg of THC or less for products that you eat or drink, and then wait until you feel the full affects before taking more. That could be two hours so this is a slow process, and you really have to adhere to this to use it safely” she said.
Russell says if you’ve never used cannabis before, its best to go low and slow
“It’s critical for people to really allow the appropriate time to pass before consuming more. that is really a risk for toxicity… if you consume some and you don’t feel anything and you feel that you need to consume more, that’s dangerous,” she said.
Russell says cannabis can cause some negative effects if not used properly.
“We hear about people that are ‘greening out’ so it’s kind of an over-intoxication and a bigger impairment than what you would be trying to achieve. You can get anxiety and panic and nausea and vomiting and even psychosis and being really paranoid, and those are real problems that we want people to be aware of,” she said.
“If you did have any adverse affects, we have people on staff at 811 that can help you.”
Russell says mixing cannabis with other substances, such as alcohol and nicotine can increase the risks.
“We’re really wanting to steer people away from mixing those products because of that toxicity piece,” she said.
“We would also like people to limit the amount and frequency of consumption because we don’t want people to become dependent on it or addicted to it.”
As for if the products currently being sold in Cannabis NB meet the national guidelines set out by Health Canada, Russell says “I believe so.”
“I don’t think there are any surprises there,” she said.
Russell reminds those using cannabis to keep it clearly labelled and stored away from pets and children.
Russell also says never drive or operate heavy machinery while high, as cannabis affects your ability to concentrate, coordinate, and make decisions.
Russell says a report will be released later this month on the number of hospital visits related to cannabis in the province, to better outline the need for education on safe usage.
