Residents had the opportunity to learn about recreational and medicinal cannabis in the community during the Chestermere Whitecappers Lunch and Learn on Jan. 8.
Approximately 50 audience members were encouraged to ask questions regarding recreational cannabis in Chestermere to presenter and Chestermere resident Ryan Roch and ask questions about medicinal cannabis to a pharmacist.
“My commitment has always been that of education,” said Roch.
“I feel the Lunch and Learn was great and the Whitecappers were wonderfully welcoming and candid,” Roch said.
He added, providing non-biased education and leaving people with more information than what they started with is why he did the presentation and question and answer period at the public meeting.
“Our main goal is to leave people with enough education that should they encounter cannabis they have more details to navigate that in whatever way they choose in the safest way possible,” Roch said.
He added, he did not present at the Lunch and Learn to advocate cannabis, or to advertise, but he is at the service of the community for guidance and education.
Under the new regulations, retailors of recreational cannabis are unable to talk about any medical benefits, Roch said that medical use needs to be talked about with medical professionals and recreational needs to be talked about with recreational retailers.
He added, the cannabis plant has two main associations, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD).
When THC is ingested it is intoxicating, because molecules associated with it attach to receptors in the brain.
CBD is not intoxicating, but it does still react with the body, said Roch.
The cannabis plant is spilt into three groups, Indica, Sativa, and Cannabis Ruderalis.
Indica initially grew in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan and is a very bushy and tightly packed plant.
The Sativa plant is grown by the Equator or in warmer climates and grows wider and spread out.
However, an Indica and Sativa Hybrid is what people generally experience, Roch said.
“Whether it’s recreational or medical it’s generally a hybrid gene,” he said.
Cannabis Ruderalis is used for hemp, and fiber making.
He added, “Hemp lacks THC or CBD, so if you were to smoke hemp you would get a wicked headache, but nothing else.”
The legalization of cannabis has impacts at all levels of Canadian society.
“It’s a huge deal, and we need to know about it,” said Vice President of the Chestermere Whitecappers Michael Ball.
“With medicinal marijuana and recreational marijuana being in the lime light today it’s very important for people to get information from providers,” Ball said.
He added, although audience members may have not been interested in recreational cannabis, having information that they can pass onto younger members of the community is important.
“For the medicinal side, there’s aches and pains, there’s drugs that we take from the doctor that might not work, it’s really nice to have that other option,” Ball said.
