Hospital officials are reminding you to be honest with doctors if you use cannabis or other drugs.
Dr. Zaki Ahmed, chief of staff at the Thunder Bay Regional Hospital, says in the emergency department or for surgery, they need to know what medications or drugs are in your system.
Ahmed explains it may affect your treatment or help them avoid dangerous drugs interactions.
He notes cannabis can react with anaesthetic drugs during surgery.
“The heart rate and the blood pressure get dropped pretty dramatically with regular doses of anaesthetic, [and] they’re compounded with the effects of cannabis,” said Ahmed.
Ahmed argues paramedics and other medical professionals only want to help, not judge you for any substances you use.
With cannabis edibles set to be legalized in mid-December, Dr. Ahmed has another warning.
“The biggest risk with edibles is intoxication of children,” he explains.
“If the child is acting strange, it’s extremely important for the paramedics and your physicians to know that you did have some in the house, and there is a possibility that the child may have obtained it and ingested that because that can have very severe effects for the child.”
Health Canada also warns you to keep edibles out of the reach of children and pets.
