If your question and answer are not here, feel free to contact us at info@farcanada.org
Yes, FAR is a Canadian registered charity.
Our Charitable Registration is # 77093 5724 RR0001
Yes, FAR advocates for compassionate, evidence-based treatment on demand, protective health laws (compassionate intervention; treating family caregivers as part of the healthcare team) and protective drug policies (decriminalization and regulating substances in accordance with their relative harms).
Yes. Estimates of the rates of addiction for cannabis are approximately 5%-9% for an adult and 17% for an adolescent. Compared to other substances, cannabis is not as addicting. It is estimated that 32% of tobacco users will become addicted, 23% of heroin users, 17% of cocaine users, and 15% of alcohol users.
No, they are far more dangerous. People tend to use synthetic cannabinoids instead of cannabis because they believe that they are legal and that there is no risk of a criminal record, or to avoid a positive drug test. However, synthetic cannabinoids are illegal in Canada. The risks associated with synthetic cannabinoids are significantly greater than the risks associated with cannabis use and include seizures, irregular heartbeat, panic attacks, agitation, hallucinations and, in a few cases, death. If you are going to use one or the other, use cannabis. For more information on synthetic cannabinoids click here.
Yes. See Canada’s Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines.
There is also the Lower Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines - Psychosis
Yes. There is a medical condition called Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome. The nausea and vomiting can be relieved with hot showers or baths. Symptoms stop within days of ending cannabis use.
Alcohol is a drug and it is not safer than cannabis. Alcohol has become normalized in our society and according to a study of the relative harms of 20 of the most commonly used drugs, alcohol causes the greatest amount of harm once you combine harm to self and harm to others. Cannabis ranks eighth on the list. Alcohol has now surpassed tobacco as the substance with the greatest cost and harms to Canadians. See Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms.
North America is in the midst of an toxic drug crisis. It has never been more dangerous to use illegal drugs. Both persons struggling with addiction and recreational users of illegal drugs are at risk. Toxic drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil, both synthetic opioids which are much more powerful than morphine, are being mixed in to other drugs. Persons who use street drugs do not know if what they are purchasing is the drug that they believe it to be or the potency of it.
If you or anyone you know may be using illegal drugs or prescription opioids (oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl), be aware of the signs of an overdose and have a naloxone kit. See the Overdose and Naloxone section of this website. For ways to reduce the harms of using these and other drugs see the What to Tell Your Kids About Drugs section of this website.
The word addiction is derived from the Latin term for “enslaved by” or “bound to”. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a U.S. federal government drug use and addiction research institute, defines addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. Addiction occurs when a person cannot control the impulse to use drugs even when there are negative consequences—the defining characteristic of addiction. NIDA and others consider addiction a brain disease because drugs change the brain; they change its structure and how it works, especially in the brain’s natural inhibition and reward centers.
For the brain, the difference between normal rewards and drug rewards can be described as the difference between someone whispering into your ear and someone shouting into a microphone. Just as we turn down the volume on a radio that is too loud, the brain adjusts to the overwhelming surges in dopamine (and other neurotransmitters) by producing less dopamine or by reducing the number of receptors that can receive signals. As a result, dopamine’s impact on the reward circuit of the brain of someone struggling with addiction can become abnormally low, and that person’s ability to experience any pleasure is reduced. This medical condition is called “anhedonia”. It is also present in people with depression.
This is why a person who is struggling with addiction eventually feels flat, lifeless, and depressed, and is unable to enjoy things that were previously pleasurable. The person needs to keep taking drugs in an attempt to bring his or her dopamine function back up to normal so they feel normal – which only makes the problem worse, like a vicious cycle. Also, the person will often need to take larger amounts of the drug to produce the familiar dopamine high – an effect known as tolerance.
Stopping drug use doesn’t immediately return the brain to normal. Some drugs have toxic effects that can kill neurons—and most of these cells will not be replaced. While changes to connections between neurons in the brain may not be permanent, some last for months. Some research suggests the changes may even last for years. This is called post addiction withdrawal syndrome (PAWS).
Long-lasting brain changes can make it challenging for individuals struggling with addiction to stay drug-free. They often experience intense cravings for years, which can lead to relapse. However, the brain has neuroplasticity. That means it can repair itself, over time.
It depends on the drug. Here are average periods of withdrawal for various drugs:
| Drug | Withdrawal Period |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | 5-7 days |
| Cannabis | Up to two weeks |
| Cocaine | 2-3 days |
| Opioids | 1-4 weeks |
| Amphetamines/Methamphetamines | 2-10 days |
| Tobacco | 2 days – 2 weeks |
| Benzodiazepines | 10-14 days |
Here are links to websites that discuss how to talk to your kids about drugs:
Prepare yourself to talk effectively – Drug Free Kids Canada
See the Section on this website on What to Tell Your Kids About Drugs.
Good communication is a cornerstone of good relationships. Good communication involves active listening. This basic guide is a good refresher on better communication skills for everyone at all times. It becomes particularly important when relationships become strained as they do when a loved one is in active addiction.
First, you need to help yourself, then you will have the energy and resilience required to support your loved one. This is a tough pill to swallow, especially for parents, yet it is true. It is the same concept as putting on your own oxygen mask first. For more information see the sections of this website on Supporting Yourself and Supporting Your Loved One under Family Support.
See the We can Help and the Support Yourself sections of our website.
See the Getting Help section of this website under Treatment.
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