Saskatchewan woman says use of cannabis to help her addiction not acceptedPosted by On


REGINA — For Shelby Curtis, keeping away from hard drugs starts with quieting her thoughts.

The 26-year-old got a prescription to use cannabis medicinally earlier this year while in recovery and living in Regina’s Raising Hope housing program for new mothers facing issues such as substance abuse.

She uses THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, to manage depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

“I can instantly … relax and talk to myself and tell myself that everything’s going to be OK, like, whatever it may be,” Curtis says. “When I use THC, like I don’t have like any interest in using hard drugs.”

Curtis was surprised when, earlier in the fall, she inquired about returning to Raising Hope and, she says, was told she would no longer be allowed to use THC.

Curtis says she was willing to use gel tablets rather than smoking a joint, but says she was told no, because it would get her high.

Experts say it’s common for people who struggle with substance use issues to see cannabis as a more preferable option to other drugs or alcohol.

“It’s a substitute,” says Andy Hathaway, a professor at the University of Guelph, who studies drug policy.

Hathaway says only about 20 per cent of people who go into treatment are successful long-term and even some in traditional 12-step programs, which encourage sobriety, understand people…

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