A prominent cannabis researcher from UBC Okanagan drew a crowd of all ages to the UBCO campus in Vernon.
On Tuesday, Zach Walsh spoke about his studies into cannabis use and mental health, as well as cannabis and public health generally.
“Being in that older demographic that is suffering from arthritis and various other aches and pains, I am interested (if cannabis) is going to be somewhat better than some of the drugs prescribed for these things,” said attendee Miriam Ryan.
Walsh in interested in the use of cannabis for physical pain, as well as mental issues, such as depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I think the most important thing is that we hold cannabis to the same evaluative standards as other medications,” Walsh said.
Studies are also focusing on cannabis as a possible replacement for other substances, like opioids, pharmaceuticals and even alcohol.
“So we want to look at the evidence that cannabis might be a substitute and weigh the pros and cons of cannabis relative to other medicines,” Walsh said.