The federal government will be spending an additional $36.4-million over five years to educate Canadians on the dangers of using cannabis at a young age and impaired driving, hoping to address growing concerns over the drug’s legalization.
The new money comes in addition to $9.6-million in previously announced spending on public-awareness campaigns, with eight months to go before the government’s July 1 deadline to legalize cannabis for recreational use by adults.
The federal campaign will target young Canadians and other vulnerable groups, such as Indigenous people, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and Canadians with a history of mental illness. Health experts have pointed out that cannabis users under the age of 25 face greater long-term risks than adults.
“We want to target kids,” Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said at a news conference. “There is a lot of misinformation about cannabis, so first and foremost, we have to educate people.”
Daniel Leblanc – Globe and Mail – October 31, 2017.
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