Cannabis

Guide to information and research about cannabis use and health post-legalization.

Purpose of this Guide

This resource guide was developed through a partnership between Dalhousie University Libraries and Nova Scotia Health Library Services to support health care providers, researchers, policy makers, and the general community.

Now that cannabis is legal in Canada, it is important to note that the body of scientific evidence about cannabis use has been impacted by its status as illegal. While there is a place for harm-focused research, there is also a need to explore the therapeutic role of cannabis and review research about medicinal health impacts of cannabinoids in all human populations.

The focus of this Guide is:

  • reliable information pertaining to cannabis use and health
  • facilitating further research.

It is not possible to cover all relevant topics in the Guide in depth. If you are looking for more information, please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Did You Know?

Cannabis
Also called: Marijuana, Ganja, Grass, Hash, Pot, Weed

  • The chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the ingredient in cannabis that impacts your body.

  • According to a Statistics Canada Survey released May, 2019 looking at cannabis use over a three month period:
    • 18% of Canadians aged 15 years and older reported some use of cannabis products for medical or non-medical use. This is an increase of 4% from 2018 data pre-legalization. 
    • Obtaining cannabis from illegal sources in the first three months of 2019 declined from 51% to 38% when compared with the first quarter of 2018. 

Medical Definitions

Cannabinoid

A compound that is either extracted from cannabis sativa (marijuana) or synthesized to elicit similar pharmacologic effects.

Cannabis Sativa

A species of annual herb native to Central and South Asia, whose tough fiber (hemp) is used for making rope and its oils, resins, and seeds used medicinally and as a psychoactive, recreational drug.

Cannabis withdrawal symptom

Anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and craving for marijuana (Cannabis sativa) in those who use the drug habitually and then abruptly stop using it.

Hashish

A more or less purified, gummy extract prepared from the flowers, stalks, and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It is smoked or chewed for its euphoric effects. Its psychoactive effects are usually stronger than those of marijuana.

Marijuana

The dried flowering tops of Cannabis sativa, the hemp plant. Marijuana has many colloquial and street names, e.g., dope, ganja, Mary Jane, pot, and weed.

Medical Marijuana

Legally sanctioned use of marijuana for people with a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, glaucoma, or nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.

Pediatric exposure to marijuana or its constituent chemicals may have adverse effects on the developing brain.

Tetrahydrocannabinol

The principal psychoactive component in marijuana and hashish, abbreviated as THC.

References

Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. 23rd ed. Phildelphia: F.A. David Company; 2017. Cannabinoid; p. 363.

Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. 23rd ed. Phildelphia: F.A. David Company; 2017. Cannabis Sativa; p. 363.

Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. 23rd ed. Phildelphia: F.A. David Company; 2017. Cannabis withdrawal symptom; p. 363.

Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. 23rd ed. Phildelphia: F.A. David Company; 2017. Hashish; p. 1066.

Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. 23rd ed. Phildelphia: F.A. David Company; 2017. Marijuana; p. 1459.

Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. 23rd ed. Phildelphia: F.A. David Company; 2017. Medical Marijuana; p. 1460.

Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. 23rd ed. Phildelphia: F.A. David Company; 2017. Tetrahydrocannabinol; p. 2328.

Information about Cannabis from the Government of Canada