Substance Use

If you’re looking for more information on cannabis the following sites are recommended:

Windsor-Essex County Health Unit – www.wechu.org/cannabis

The law sets a minimum age of 19 to use, buy, possess and cultivate cannabis in Ontario. This is the same as the minimum age for tobacco and alcohol sales.

Youth and young adults (up to 25 years of age) are considered a high-risk group when it comes to cannabis use. Cannabis use can cause unpleasant, unwanted, or negative effects on mental and physical health, with both short and or long-term use.

In Ontario cannabis is legal for those over the age of 19, but is illegal for anyone under that age. This means that under-age users will turn to the black market, or “street” products.

Everyone will have their own reason for using or trying cannabis. When it comes to youth, some of the most common reasons they give include:

Prior to the legalization of cannabis, the bi-annual Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey reported that 19% of students in grades 7 to 12 had used cannabis in the past year (2018). The rates between males and females is similar (19.6% and 18.3%, respectively).

In Ontario, as of October 17, 2018, cannabis was made legal for adults over the age of 19. For anyone under the age of 19, possessing, purchasing, and using cannabis is still illegal.

Cannabis is known by many names including marijuana, weed, pot, hash—and others. Cannabis is a plant with very recognizable leaves, which can be used to create a substance used as a drug.

If you’re looking for material to assist with lesson plans, the following sites are recommended:

Kids Health in the Classroom

If you’re looking for more information on tobacco, the following sites are recommended:

Ontario Lung Association – Smoking Facts