Photo: Michael Potestio

Dr. Zach Walsh, psychology professor at UBC, tells a group gathered at TRU about the benefits cannabis consumption can have on those addicted to harder drugs.

Medical cannabis has shown promising results as a harm reduction tool researchers told a group of about 60 gathered in the Clock Tower building at Thompson Rivers University on Saturday afternoon.

The forum, Medical Cannabis and Recovery, explored how medical cannabis can be used as an alternative therapy for harm reduction and addiction care, featuring talks from physicians, clinical counsellors, research scientists, professors and representatives from the Ask Wellness Society.

Dr. Zach Walsh, psychology professor at UBC told the crowd studies showed people use cannabis for a variety of reasons such as pain reduction, anxiety and sleep deprivation, and as a substitute to lessen their use of harder drugs such as opioids and benzodiazepines and even alcohol.

“I think when you take something that is less harmful, like cannabis, and replace something potentially more harmful — that's a win,” Walsh said.

Dr. M.J. Milloy, research scientist with the BC Centre on Substance Use, said his research has shown some individuals at-risk of overdosing using cannabis intentionally to curb their use of harder drugs like crack cocaine.

“We found folks who were using cannabis were associated with lower rates of injecting drugs. We all know about the gateway [drug] hypothesis — what we seemed to find was the reverse.”

He noted his studies, however, have not proven a cause and effect relationship, but to do that he’ll soon be launching clinical trials.

“We’re still investigating,” he said. “We have a pretty good sense, though, that at least for some folks at highest risk of overdose, cannabis is an important life saving intervention.”

Meanwhile PhD student Jody Cates shared some of the results of her research taking an Indigenous perspective on cannabis use. She said her research showed 83 per cent of respondents used cannabis for therapeutic and recreational reasons. Her stat showed 52 per cent said they use it to reduce dependance on harder drugs, but 69 per cent still feel cannabis use as a medicine is stigmatized in society despite being legalized years ago.

Bob Hughes, executive director with ASK Wellness, who also presented at the forum, told Castanet Kamloops hearing from the presenters vindicates the progress his society has seen using cannabis as harm reduction tool in its recovery program at the former Maverick Motor Inn.

“What we're seeing is longer retention and treatment. There's emotional stability, so it's a promising direction for us,” Hughes said, noting ASK received criticism when they started using it.

The Maverick Cannabis Project uses oral and inhalation of cannabis, not smoking of joints, alongside medical and social supports for clients.