Cannabis Awareness 29TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY GUIDE Securing Our Community... Strengthening Our Commitment PRESIDENT’S message It is with great pleasure that I present the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association Annual Community Guide for 2020. I wish to extend our sincere thank you to the citizens and businesses in our province who continue to provide their support of this public safety awareness guide. This year’s Community Guide discusses potential challenges of the legalization of cannabis through its theme of Cannabis Awareness. We hope that the information contained within this Community Guide will serve as a useful tool for discussion with you and your loved ones. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association is proud to support community organizations in our province who work to promote the safety and well-being of our residents. This year, we are very pleased to make a contribution from the proceeds of this year’s community guide to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) - Newfoundland and Labrador. MADD’s mission is to “stop impaired driving and to support victims of this violent crime”. They presently have over 100 Chapters and Community Leaders and 7,500 volunteers across Canada who deliver their programs and services. We encourage you to visit their website, www.madd.ca, to learn more about their work! We hope that you will find this Community Guide a valuable resource in discussions with your loved ones. Thank you again for your continued support! Stay safe. Sincerely, Mike Summers President RNC Association “Supporting our Community…Strengthening our Commitment” www.rnca.ca 1 Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association www.rnca.ca 2 29th Annual Community Guide Cannabis Awareness RNCA Messages Message from the RNCA President . 1 Message from the Publisher . 7 RNCA Executive Members . 5 Cannabis Awareness Cannabis . 9 Are you pregnant, considering pregnancy, Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid . 13 or breastfeeding? . 45 What you need to know if you choose Cannabis and Other Substances . 47 to consume cannabis . 15 Cannabis and Your Medication . 49 Inhaling vs Ingesting . 19 A Guide to Cannabis for Older Adults . 51 Does cannabis affect everyone Know the Health Effects . 57 the same way? . 21 Cannabis poisoning . 59 Cannabis: lower your risks . 23 Addiction to cannabis . 61 The effects of cannabis on young Cannabis and driving . 63 people's health . 23 Cannabis and the Law . 73 Parents: Help your teen understand what's Cannabis and the border . 77 fact and fiction about marijuana . 25 Cannabis in the Workplace . 79 Cannabis Use among Canadian Students . 27 Psychiatric Conditions and Cannabis Use . 83 7 Things You Need to Know about COVID-19 and Cannabis Smoking . 85 Edible Cannabis . 29 COVID-19 and CANNABIS - How to Edible Cannabis - Always read the label . 33 reduce your risk . 104 How to choose cannabis products . 35 How To Safely Store Your Cannabis . 43 RNCA News & Photo Album RNCA made a donation to Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) Association Awards of Excellence . 97 Newfoundland and Labrador . 87 Leadership Award . 97 Donations to the Community . 87 Community Service Award . 99 Detective Sgt. Thomas Fraize Scholarship . 89 Outstanding Performance Award . 99 Cst. William Moss Softball Tournament . 91 Medal of Valor 2019 . 99 Law Enforcement Torch Run . 93 Shamrock Showdown . 93 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX . .102 Halloween Treat Bag Patrol . 95 www.rnca.ca 3 Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association Committed to our community Proudly supporting the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association. www.rnca.ca 4 EXECUTIVE BOARD Sergeant Mike Summers President Constable Nicholas Cashin Constable Danny Abbass 1st Vice President Director, Corner Brook Sergeant Scott Harris Constable Tammy Madden Treasurer Director, CID Constable Jordan McEntegart Constable Geoff Hall 2nd Vice President Director, Platoon A Constable Robyn Knight Constable Craig Edmunds Secretary Director, Platoon B Sergeant Russ Moores Constable Chris Smith Director, NCOs Director, Platoon C Constable Pat McDonald Constable Evan Farrell Director, Support Services Director, Platoon D Constable Richard Tilley Director, Labrador Supporting our Community…Strengthening our Commitment www.rnca.ca 5 Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association • Industrial / Commercial / Residential • Contaminated Soil Removal • Aggregates (3, 4, 6 Inch Minus Blast Rock, Class A & B) • Landscaping / Backfilling • Pit Run • Water & Sewer • Snowclearing • Engineered Rocks Pads • Equipment Rental FREE ESTIMATES www.rnca.ca 6 PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE On behalf of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank each and every contributor to our Annual Telephone Appeal, allowing this unique publication to be distributed to schools, libraries and public facilities and also available online at www.rnca.ca, making it easily accessible to everyone. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association publishes these Annual Community Guides to educate the public on important community concerns. Their 29th Annual Community Guide focuses on Cannabis Awareness to highlight potential challenges regarding the recent legalization of Cannabis in Canada. This publication is made possible as a result of financial contributions from residents and business representatives throughout the province. With their generous support for their activities, the RNCA is also able to give back to their communities through donations to various local charities and programs for youth. Your comments and suggestions regarding these publications are always welcome and we look forward to speaking with you each year during our Annual Telephone Appeal. Respectfully, Mark T. Fenety President Fenety Marketing Services (Atlantic) Ltd. “Providing quality, professional marketing and fundraising services on behalf of high-profile, non-profit organizations.” WWW.FENETY.COM www.rnca.ca 7 Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association EMAIL: [email protected] www.rnca.ca 8 CannabisCannabis chunks. Oil is made by boiling cannabis flower buds or resin Cannabis is a psychoactive drug that is in an organic solvent, which produces a sticky used for recreational and medical reddish-brown or green substance. The THC content of each variety of cannabis varies, although hash is generally purposes. more potent than the plant, and oil is usually the most Official Name - Cannabis potent form of cannabis. Cannabis can be used in many different ways. For instance, Street Name - Cannabis (marijuana, weed, pot, bud, green, herb or flower), hash, extracts it may be rolled into a cigarette (called a joint), mixed with and rolled into a joint (called a spliff), or packed into a pipe (honey oil, phoenix tears, shatter), edibles or bong and then smoked. Cannabis can also be vaped. The extracts (such as oil or shatter) are often dabbed with an What is it? oil rig pipe, called a dab rig. Cannabis may also be used as Cannabis is a product of the cannabis an ingredient in food. sativa plant that is used for its psychoactive and therapeutic effects. It comes in many forms, including as dried flowers and leaves; hash; extracts, such as oil (e.g., honey oil, phoenix tears) and shatter; and edibles (e.g., candies, butter or baked goods). Cannabis contains hundreds of chemical substances. More than 100 chemicals, called cannabinoids, have been identified as specific to the cannabis plant. THC Who uses it? (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main psychoactive According to the Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and cannabinoid and is most responsible for the “high” Drugs Survey, 3.6 million (12 per cent) of Canadians used associated with cannabis use. Another cannabinoid is cannabis in 2015. Of that population, 24 per cent said they cannabidiol (CBD). CBD has little or no psychoactive used cannabis for medical reasons. effects, so you do not feel high. CBD counteracts some of the negative effects of THC. How does it make you feel? Where does it come from? How cannabis affects you depends on: • how much you use • how often and how long you’ve used it • whether you smoke, vape or eat it • your mood, your expectations and the environment you’re in • your age • whether you have certain pre-existing medical or psychiatric conditions The cannabis sativa plant is native to tropical and temperate • whether you’ve taken any alcohol or other drugs climates but is cultivated around the world. (illegal, prescription, over-the-counter or herbal). What does it look like? People can have very different experiences with cannabis. Cannabis is the dried flower buds and leaves of the cannabis Some may feel relaxed, lively, talkative, giggly and even plant. Its colour ranges from grayish-green to euphoric, while others feel tense, anxious, fearful and greenish-brown and may contain seeds and stems. Hash is confused. The kind of experience you may have can vary the dried, compressed resin of cannabis flower buds. It from one drug-taking episode to another, usually because ranges in colour from brown to black, and it is sold in of the amount taken, the method used and the frequency of regular cannabis use. (continued) www.rnca.ca 9 Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro At Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, safety is our number one priority. Our safety culture not only exists at work, but at home and in our communities. Hydro employee Trent Carter shares a safety moment drawn by his daughter Alexa Carter. www.rnca.ca 10 Cannabis (continued) The physical effects of cannabis may