Senator Loffreda: Thank you for that answer.

A lot needs to be done to address long wait times in emergency rooms across the country. We all know that. In my home province, patients are waiting, on average, over 5 hours in emergency rooms and over 18 hours on emergency room stretchers.

Cannabis-related emergency room visits have increased since legalization, in some cases by up to 20% with visits related to edible consumption.

Recognizing this may be a jurisdictional issue. What is the government doing to ensure that cannabis-related emergency room visits head in the right direction?

Hon. Tony Loffreda: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

In a new report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, we learned that the prevalence of cannabis use has mostly increased or remained steady since its legalization five years ago. However, Statistics Canada has reported an overall increase in cannabis use from 22% to 27% among Canadians aged 16 and older between 2017 and 2022.

We know that Health Canada is projected to spend $136 million in total on its Substance Use and Addictions Program this year. What work is the government doing to reduce cannabis use among our population, particularly among our youth? Are you not concerned that the government’s education and awareness campaign on the harms associated with cannabis use is not achieving its goal?