The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has released a campaign for parents, teachers, employers, and residents to answer questions about cannabis.

Officials say the campaign focuses on debunking cannabis myths and providing residents with facts about cannabis.  wechu.org/cannabis.

Eric Nadalin, manager of chronic disease and injury prevention at the Health Unit says there are many myths around cannabis consumption that are concerning.

“There has been a lot of misinformation about the health effects of cannabis, both positive and negative,” says Nadalin. “Through the Cannabis – Your Questions, Answered campaign we aim to provide residents with the facts they need to make informed decisions about their own cannabis use as well as providing community members with the tools they need to speak with their children, students, employees, and patients about cannabis.”
 
Communities across Canada have been preparing for the nationwide legalization of marijuana coming on Oct. 17.

The federal government has set a baseline of regulations for purchasing, possessing, and selling cannabis in Canada and more recently, the provincial government has announced its plan for online sales in Ontario beginning on Oct. 17, with a private retail model to come into effect in April of 2019.
 
The WECHU campaign is rooted in available research and evidence gathered about cannabis use across Ontario and in Windsor-Essex County and seeks to address a number of key themes related to cannabis use: impaired driving, health effects, youth prevention, maternal/fetal health, safer consumption methods, and treatment for addiction.

The website houses resources to support professionals (educators, social service and healthcare providers, and employers) and tips for parents to use in talking with their children about cannabis.

It also has credible facts on health effects, information for new and expecting mothers, strategies to lower your risk of harms if you choose to use cannabis, and a directory of local services for those struggling with cannabis addiction or other substance use.
 
Get your cannabis questions answered by visiting www.WECHU.org/Cannabis and follow the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit on Twitter and Facebook.